Slut Walk anyone?

The idea of the "slut walk" organized in Delhi didn't appeal to my feminist instincts at all. I don't think that protesting against eve-teasing will help curb the Delhi male’s inappropriate gaze. By going on a rampage men in Delhi will never feel threatened or ashamed, if anything they will only feel stronger at having been successful at intimidating half of the city's population. Their powers both muscular and genital give them too much confidence to think of women as nothing but a perverted visual treat.

What will indeed work is harsh punishment implemented rigorously. A couple of hours rotting behind bars…long term sentences, or in severe cases even life-sentence (I know we don't give death-sentence anymore, therefore the exception). But the slut walk seemed too embedded in an idealistic vision - one that will never come true.

I stay in proximity to what has over the years translated into a very active pick up joint (basically the road that leads to Defence colony Nirula’s). Rows of cars with tinted windows pause every evening in search of a quick take aways, causing traffic congestion, inconvenience and above all aggravating an illegal activity in the middle of a busy junction.

Till a few years back, there weren’t too many signs of such greed and lust. The number of prostitutes has multiplied over the years bringing with it disgusting men from all over the city, stopping their cars, rolling windows at the sight of any girl walking down the road. The trade has led to a scary and ugly conversion of normal girls being mistaken as sex workers. The area obviously has become inaccessible to people like me, who cannot even think of walking down what used to be relatively safe lanes post 8 pm, lest I be considered a potential pick-up.

And who is to blame to creating such a lethal barrier? A police post centres the area, which is in the heart of South Delhi. As pimps and prostitutes all make a bee line for potential customers, normal people walk ignoring the presence of such an activity. The police thrives on collecting its weekly commission from the pimps for letting them flourish their trade. And no one, ever seems to have a complain against it. And then our commissioner tells women in Delhi not to venture out in the streets alone, confirming his knowledge of many such pick up joints thriving all across the city.

As I wonder if this will ever come to an end, a car has possibly picked another one of them up, the pimp has probably been paid a handsome amount for it, and before the week ends the 4 police men will have their pockets full!!

And slut or not all women crossing that area will be treated at par!!