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Hypocrisy in Reality


So a girl of Indian origin wins the Miss America title and the whole world goes berserk. I'm surprised it make it to the front page of yesterday's news papers. India is rejoicing alright, but would she have won if she was based in India. I mean, when was the last time you saw a dusky girl lift the Miss India crown? The others are calling her a terrorist, an Arab and what not. The best part was that Times Of India had the audacity to print the hate tweets in the first page. Do you think the same would have happened in America? And who were the judges? Hardly an Indian in the panel I'm sure. I have already written about India's obsession with fair skin here. Four years ago. Till date, I don't see any change regarding this. She wins in a different country and India rejoices. In India, she would be dismissed like another aspiring girl in the ferocious world of fame. If this is not hypocrisy then what is? I wouldn't be surprised if she is signed up for the next 'Fair & Lovely' ad. Just for the 'before' part. And photo shop the picture for the 'after'.


'Shudh Desi Romance' was promoted keeping in mind the mindset of the Indian audience. Stats were produced and cited quite boldly. Apparently, quite a high percentage of Indian youngsters want to experience a live-in relationship. And I hear the movie is highly about it. No, I haven't watched it yet. I don't have to. I'm sure the movie is not faring that well. Of course the young guns would have watched it, behind the backs of their parents. Living in sure is an interesting concept. For those who are able to handle the repercussions that come with it, its even better. Living in with a person shows you the entirety of the person. Their small habits, their major flaws. Their mood swings, their crankiness. Its an exposure to the gist of married life. But society plays the villain here. Oh, living together means you are having sex before marriage. All I want to ask the society is, what guarantee you have that the children staying with you are not having sex. Sex just needs a place. Permanent or temporary. Hotels or cars. You need not have to live together to have sex. Period.

Did your parents explain the concept of sex to you? Or did they just change the channel or ask you to fetch water every time a sex scene or a condom ad came on TV? Parents still feel that its a taboo to talk about sex to their children. After a certain age, children go on to explore their lives. If parents think that sex is not a part of it, then well ignorance is bliss. A lot has been said and debated about the importance of sex education in schools but hardly any of it has been implemented. Still, people shy away from talking about sex, birth control, menstrual cycle etc. These are the most natural things in the world. Science teaches us that sex is only for pro-creation. Well, hello there! The recent issue of Femina, had a problem where in a mom wrote in asking for advice. She said that her 16 year old daughter is having sex with her guy, how could she stop her from it? Really sorry madam, nothing in the world can stop her from it. Wouldn't it be better if you told her about birth control and trust in the partner instead? Its hard for any parent to accept that their child is indulging in sex at a very young age. You cannot stop them from it, at least prepare them for it. Better safe, than sorry. Pre-marital sex happens in reality, accept it.


Homosexuality is another taboo here. People know it exists, but still ignore and call it a disease. We love Neil Patrick Harris and Jim Parsons, but how would you treat a gay friend or son? A lot of parents get their 'sick' sons to perform lots of pujas and get them to marry an innocent girl. Two lives ruined just because someone else is living in denial. Is it worth it? Is reality that hard to accept?

BJP, Congress or any other party. Doesn't matter. India shall only improve when each and every citizen stops being a slave to society. And it begins at home. No where else. 

~ Soumya

Comments

  1. "India shall only improve when each and every citizen stops being a slave to society"- This sentence sums it up all. Really enjoyed reading it. :-)

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  2. Nina Davuluri would be a doctor or an engineer if she was in India. And married at 23 with a heavy dowry in compensation for her skin color.

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    1. This is what crossed my mind the first thing when I read about Nina Davuluri in the papers :D India doesn't value the talent and when the same talent makes it big outside, we roar like we were the ones who guided her there :P Why Nina has been living in America for all her life and there's no reason why India should feel proud or touchy about it. India had nothing to do with her success except maybe India left no choice to her parents but to settle elsewhere :P

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  3. It can only happen if there is awareness and educate people about it. Its important to accept people who have differences from us. But still our govt. and many social bodies are against it. I don't know why you have posted this today it self, knowingly or unknowingly... but let me tell you, the gr8 actress of Indian Cinema Shabana Azmi is celebrating her B.day today. The actress who signed the film 'FIRE' The first Indian Cinema on lesbianism. There were protests and threats from many social groups and Indian authorities as well. But she got recognized Internationally and won Best Actress at Chicago Film Festival and Best Actress at Outfest-Los Angeles. But in India people hardly know abt this movie and hardly played in Theaters. Its a dream for Indians to accept these.. hope dream comes true. Phew..!! such a long comment na ;) btw good write up, enjoyed reading till the end :)

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  4. I wonder why are we so crazy about skin colors. I mean different people different perspective different color. I wish this sick mentality could be crushed.

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  5. It is hard to put things in the right and wrong baskets here, and it is equally hard to change the mindset of the hardliners. Upcoming generations, who 'experiment' with these things will know the thrill and the problems. Maybe they will be the better judges, or maybe the elders are right. We cannot be too sure. There is no absolute.

    Nice post!

    Blasphemous Aesthete

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    1. Maybe they will. That's the hope anyway. I'm scared to have kids now.

      Thanks BA.

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  6. Completely agree with your views on live-in relationships. We were living in before our wedding and it helped and nurtured our relationship in many ways; emotionally and financially. And sex was just a part of all the other things. When people hear the word live-in, all they think about is sex. Thankfully we were living in a I-mind-my-own-business community, so was not scoffed.

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  7. pakistanis and Indians need to get out of the 'rang gora' phobia. I, personally, find the tan people way more attractive than the fairer ones.

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  8. It's been the trademark behaviour of Indian society to gloat when an Indian achieves something abroad but when in India, the same person would have got nowhere close to it.

    And societal taboos. really sick of it. Parents who refuse to acknowledge that even if they are not enlightening their child about sex, the children are going to find about it in their own way. It's far better to give the education first hand by yourself in the right words than letting your child make a mistake with half knowledge.

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    1. I agree. At least let us teach our kids the right things.

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  9. Absolutely agree!! How do you think such a process can be initiated and sustained though? Any ideas?

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    1. Education is the only thing that comes to my mind. It would be a start at least :)

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