Attention!

It’s been some days since Pooja Chauhan stripped down to her uncoordinated underwear and walked around Rajkot roads. The stated reasons being her inability to get official attention to her situation - she claims to be harassed over some years over insufficient dowry, and for subsequently having given birth to a female child. There are a number of articles online that cover the case facts, and this posting is not about questioning any of them, either for or against.

My first reaction when I saw the news article (one of those days, where I happened to browse the papers in the morning) was “either this woman is off her head, or she’s got tremendous guts!” The story made it to the top of the first page, which itelf should say a lot? A phrase that I read somewhere else comes to mind - we’re a country where shitting in public is perfectly fine, but kissing in public is likely to get you into the lock-up. So the first, and continuing feeling that I have for this lady is - admiration. I’ve not read anything, then or subsequently to suggest Pooja Chauhan is mentally deranged. If anything, the few subsequent stories suggest the contrary - the charges by the in-laws, peculiar attention seeking expressions of indignation by individuals and groups at the ‘insult to Indian values, morals and feminine modesty, all point to quite something else.

So if Pooja Chauhan is not mentally deranged, she’s a woman with a great amount of guts to take on the present Indian social fabric - and the totally masculine reactions it would lead to. What did she feel when she walked around? What did she feel a few hours later? What did she feel when her landlord asked her to vacate? Does it matter whether you label her action courageous, foolhardy or deranged - I admire the incredible leap she took on her own.

You got my attention Pooja Chauhan, and you have my admiration too as I’ve mentioned. And apart from the news clutter. Here’s another view on the matter, and yet another one that I found interesting - the title is an appropriate counterpoint to admiration!