Women’s Day just went by and Holi is almost here. If the pun in there was too slight to get noticed, we all know how people often scale new heights of harassment with their ‘bura na maano holi hai’ adage and feel free to touch women in whatever way they wish to. Not that on other days of the year the streets are any safer for women, but holi and molestation seem to go hand in hand.
For some strange reason the ‘bura na maano’ seems to buy men a warrant to throw colour and water at women who are in no way willing to play Holi. We all understand it’s a festival and we have been taught nobody should mind anything simply because it’s a festival, but for heaven’s sake fundamental rights do not cease to exist. This ad produced by Ghadi Detergent manufacturers RSPL centres around this issue and goes with the apt hashtag ‘Saare Mael Dho Daalo’.
Starring forever lecherous men getting more lecherous on Holi, the ad shows a scene we are all too familiar with. Mister is all ready to molest and get ready with gulaal, when he sees two women walking by the street he is on. So now as you must know, you are a woman walking on the street plus it’s Holi, so you must get coloured and touched suggestively. What follows is exactly what you’d expect until the young lady shuts down her harasser.
This Holi, pledge to respect it when someone does not want to play, no matter what gender or age. Also remember, fundamental rights do not get suspended on the occasion and the police is very very active, active enough to have your high on bhang self behind the bars at the first complaint by women. So this year, stay safe and let others be safe.
