the first ever Slutwalk in Kolkata

At a time when the lady Chief Minister of the state shouts at the media and tells that a rape case is “sajano” (made up… to scandalize her government) and ultimately proven wrong (Adding fuel to the fire, State Minister for Sports Madan Mitra had also questioned the "integrity" of the rape victim in the incident on Park Street in February), the “slut walk” took place in Kolkata (erstwhile capital of colonial India and the capital of West Bengal, an eastern state of India).

It is an everyday occurrence for girls who go out in Kolkata. Ogling, songs, catcalls and whistles, teasing is something every woman, more often than not, experiences. This year alone more than 400 persons have been arrested on charges of teasing in Kolkata. Yet, by and large, this form of sexual harassment is ignored both by the victims and the people in general. “Many young women nowadays take a firm stand against such insults. But many more remain silent more being afraid of the stigma than ignoring it,” said Ms Rina Sarkar, OC, women's grievance cell of Kolkata Police. Very few cases are reported with the annual count being somewhere near 90, while the number of incidents that occur is much more. Many busy areas in Central and North Kolkata are infamous for being teasers’ haven. “Suddenly, someone will bump into you, or give a quick shove. Some random comments will suddenly come from nowhere, or someone will start stalking you for a distance, trying very hard to talk to you,” said Jayeeta Haldar, a student. Ms Ushashi Chatterjee, a BPO employee, said one day a man followed her all the way to the metro station, asking for her name and phone number, even as she steadfastly ignored him.

“I was so scared, because the pavement was dark and he was fast catching up with me,” she said. “What a relief it was to reach the metro station.” Unfortunately, many police officers seem to turn a blind eye to such events. Many college students complain that the ill-lit footpaths of Park Street, just beyond the police station, become unsafe after sundown. But a police officer countered saying there are no such problems... and the area is perfectly safe.
“Many women do not know that they can make use of Section 509 of IPC, which deals with teasing,” said Ms Sarkar. “Fortunately, women are willing to protest and not hide in shame, as it was deemed earlier.”

The first ever slut walk in the otherwise politically emotional city saw teachers joining hands with students and mothers with daughters to do away with the myth that a girl in a skimpy dress is simply asking to be raped. It started from Jadavpur University in the evening and ended at Triangular Park. "It's bound to make certain people very uncomfortable… There's a conspiracy of silence that should be broken,", said Rimi B Chatterjee, faculty at the department of English at Jadavpur University. She was not dressed in her usual starched saris. She chose to wear a spaghetti dress that left, well, most of her torso bare. Not bare, actually. The word 'slut' was inscribed in bold black across her chest.

The SlutWalk saw men marching alongside women. Said Somek, an aspiring actor, who took part in the event, "It is not about gender. It is about sending a message that please don't judge us by what we wear. Change of government doesn't change society and we need to address that problem." We also spotted Hemley Gonzalez, dressed in a lungi, leading the movement. "This is a global movement that's why I am here. India boasts of being progressive, time it became so in reality," he said. Around 300 youth perticipated in the walk.

Video of the event : http://ishare.rediff.com/video/news-and-politics/kolkata-slut-walk/6929756

More information on the Kolkata rape case : http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Kolkata/2-arrested-in-Kolkata-rape-case/Article1-813430.aspx

More news on the eve teasing in Kolkata : http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-12/india/31152119_1_eve-teasing-kolkata-cop-lewd-comments