Gauahar Khan: Short Skirt = Slap!

Gauahar Khan: Short Skirt = Slap!

Looks like people are headed in a whole new line of development altogether. I was shocked today to see that an actress – Gauahar Khan was slapped for wearing short/skimpy dress. The reason given being as simple as this – A woman belonging to a particular community and a man in that particular community thinks it is sacrilegious for women to wear such clothes. I am dumbfounded when people assign relligiousness to a personal choice. I had always thought that religion was established to make personal life simpler and easier while this seems to be a completely opposite factor now. People seem to find a safe haven or an excuse in religion to make way for their own personal shortcomings.

If I remember properly, even Sania Mirza was issued a fatwa for wearing a short skirt, jeans. I wonder how someone who can plays tennis can wear a full length dress and play. Forget religion, this is downright intolerance of some people. And there are instances of people throwing stones on women for committing adultery and there have been issues when this is done in public in support of the local government. There have been issues of women not being able to read or go to schools/cinemas just because they belong to a particular community.

In the same light when France introduced a ban on burqa, there was a huge uproar saying that it was a violation of personal rights and it was a violation of religious rights as well. I wonder what a religious right and what a personal right is. If the ban was not introduced, wouldn’t the same people be forced either in the family or the closely knit community to wear a burqa and portray it as a personal choice instead of an imposed one?


Why the slap? 

My real question would be this. Why the slap? What is the meaning of the slap? Wouldn’t it be the same man who leered at this protagonist for wearing revealing clothes or maybe some other wn? Where does personalization come in a matter like this when he walks up the stage and slaps, literally slaps an actress amidst people just to prove a point or to spread his message of the community to the world? There was a prophet who spread the message of being a Muslim or islam in such a great fashion that it became a religion. There is a follower here who thinks his personal view of religion is the worldview and everyone else should pander to it.

I do agree that I am sounding caustic when I write this. There is something about objectification of women which seems disgusting and there is another thing which is about controlling them in every which way possible. I think this comes to the second category.


What should be done? 

What should be done for matters like this? I am sure that this man would be put to jail for about a week or so and then slapped with a fine and then released. But what is the outcome of that, it will be one man behind bars. He slapped a famous woman and then got caught. What about the millions who do it for the not-so-famous ones and walk around the towns as if they own it? What about the hundreds who rape them without the fear of impunity. What about the tens and ones who just stand there are watch? What is a solution to all this?

Is the answer in mere tolerance? Is the answer in education? Is the answer in public growing up a little more? We are on the brink of embracing a civilization called the global world and in a place where a celebrity can be slapped for wearing a short dress, it makes me shudder with fear about the plight of a common woman.


20 thoughts on “Gauahar Khan: Short Skirt = Slap!”

  1. True Kokila, religion is completely a personal choice. He he, I think that serves him right, I don’t understand the concept behind an imposition. Religion was introduced to make life simpler but this here seems to take the completely opposite view. It is as if using religion to send out a fashion statement.

    My god that Haryana incident was shocking. Even more shocking was to see how those other people in the bus sat as if nothing was happening aroung.

  2. I agree Manpreet, people who do such things in the name of religion seem to have a twisted approach and it seems that they use it very conveniently to impose their own limitations on everyone else just because they can’t think clearly with an open mind. I doubt if any of these guys really understand what religion truly means. It feels as if they are living in a mask and are happy with it. And just not that, they seem to be very eager to push this mask on everyone else as well. What a disgrace!

  3. Morons ! What has religion to do with this.. its a personal choice …. Like this even he can get a nice tight slap for wearing trousers instead of pathani shalwar and being clean shaven ! though that will again be in the same league…. punishment is prevention for further incidents.. just like the 3 perverts from the Haryana Bus incident are disqualified by the Indian Army Selection Board from their Army Interviews despite that they have cleared the written paper… sweet but too little .. Still enough for a nation like India ! Kuch to action liya ….

  4. True Priyashi, it is very painful and an utterly annoying thing. Yesterday I saw another footage of women being manhandled in a bus while the passengers just sat there and watched as if there was a show going on TV. It is such a disgrace to see such mentally closed and blocked mindsets. Such people should severely be punished or even sent a proper message with or else they shall keep repeating these shameful acts!

  5. True Moon Roy. I think the entire cultural aspect needs a facelift and we need to understand the new world order and the cross cultural differences. But in the face of a fundamentalist mindset, nothing will ever improve. It probably needs education and sensitivity and more importantly respect to privacy of people..

  6. One ore shameful act got spotted against women, It is really disturbing when any such incidents comes in media and become headlines. I am completely agree with you, where is the individual choice? Religion can never be put at the top over humanity. Being a follower of one religion cannot give me right to suppress one’s freedom. This was another example of sick mentality and week thought process….
    Nice article Vinay….good work…:)

  7. One more thing Vinay…Just coz a stupid person showed his bad side.., the whole religion can’t be judged or questioned on basis of this act!!

  8. Actually we need to grow up. The society imposes restrictions on women all in the name of religion (or culture) when they cannot justify it in terms of humanity.

  9. True Shweta, I agree. If it was another common woman going through this, no one would have even noticed. Sometimes I fail to understand who is wrong and sometimes I realize that it doesnt matter who is wrong but ultimately all that matters is a solution and as long as that doesnt come, sometimes it just feels like a talk in thin air..

    True true, I have seen people and unfortunately know quite a few who have a say in everything the lady does. I don’t know if there is a way to tell these people that they need to stop objectifying. Sometimes the problem looks too large to deal with :(

  10. Certainly Nazneen. I completely agree with that. I think religion is a beautiful thing with so much of essence and meaning to it. It is only these idiots who try and define religion they want to, just to pander to their own twisted needs. Whether it is a single person doing it or a group of people doing it, I would certainly say it is mere selfishness. Like you said, it is nothing to do with the religion. There have been cases where the so called hindu protagonists have physically assaulted women wearing short skirts and entering clubs. And who can forget the valentine’s day drama where these protagonists try and invade the privacy of young couple.. The idiots are the idiots no matter what the religion is..

  11. Thanks Nazneen. That is actually quite a logical question. Infact that came to my mind as well, whether it was a publicity stunt or not. Maybe we will get to know in the future or maybe we will never get to know. But I am sure that it does resonate with the people who felt like they should do the moral policing! Or maybe behave immorally and call it so!

  12. This was highlighted in media Vinay and so it got spotted, this happens everywhere not pertaining to any culture or community. I have seen women being character assassinated for putting up their thoughts on social media. Its about upbringing the minds are nurtured to think that men are superior and can do what they like (read raise a hand in public on women) but women cannot even wear what they like. I know of people who even decide what their gf or wives will wear every day and its not out of love, its out of domination. A sad incident but its common too.

  13. Nicely put together Vinay “We are on the brink of embracing a civilization called the global world”

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