India and It's Rape Culture: A Thread That You Have Seen So Many Times and Yet Nobody in Power Gives A Fuck About

When I moved to India, I knew what were the challenges before me. But boy, I wasn't prepared for the fucking shitstorm that lay ahead.

Catcalling is normal. The first time I got angry about it, I was asked to shut up because I may invite more threats. And so I did out of fear. Just passed by and prayed to every God ik to give me the strength to just live.

One day, my best friend rescued a girl, a destitute, from being abused at the hands of a well known rogue in the area. He followed her around for weeks posing a huge threat that her then boyfriend sent his friends to guard us and watch our every move.

Stalking is glorified in the name of 'love'. Stalking is used as a technique to scare women and chidren more often than not. I have been stalked multiple times and hey, almost all the women on this app have been too.

My mental health took a fucking glorious hit to the depths of hell when I was harassed online and irl. I had to learn to keep my opinions to myself at a point.

I went to get groceries 3 days before Karnataka was shut down due to the pandemic, and the shopkeeper just couldn't refrain from ogling me and my friend and making suggestive comments.

When I spoke about it, I was told I am overreacting. It has happened to every woman I know. Stalking, catcalling, harassment. That's a Tuesday for us.

This is where shit gets normalised. When you let it pass. Let it go.

I invite your fury. Your rage. I ask you to channel that anger, that rage every time a woman fears for her safety or tries extra hard to take a package from a delivery boy without letting his unsolicited fingers grasp onto hers and respond with logical arguments.

End of thread.

*deep breaths*