44 comments
IT’S COOL. It’s cheeky. It’s clever. I’m talking about the Pink Chaddi Campaign. Women all over the country are gathering pink chaddis and sending them to Muthalik as a Valentine’s Day present. The plan is to strike disgust in the teensy little non-heart of our chief moral guardian — and to loudly assert the fact that the bogeymen of morality, dignity, chastity etc cannot be used to take our freedom away. Gifting panties may seem like a softer option than dung bombing his house but it makes a strong statement on our collective lack of ‘shame’, the one quality he’s trying so desperately to instill in us.
And apparently, the organisers have planned a press conference to announce this because the point is also to generate talk. By cleverly using the media, these hoodlums have been spreading their propaganda far and wide. Time to pay them back in their own coin, what?
So, pitch in with your pantie power. The collection point is:
BANGALORE
The Pink Chaddi Campaign,
C/O Alternate Law Forum,
122/4 Infantry Road
(opposite Infantry Wedding House)
Bangalore 560001
Karnataka
Contact person: Nithin (9886081269)
UPDATE — ALF is no longer accepting chaddis. You need to send them directly to Mr Muthalik:
PIN 580030
Oh, as an aside, female underwear has been used as ammunition before.
the only way to be effective is to spread the message not to vote for these guys or their supporters repeat their supporters in the next local or national elections.
[…] Spread the word and the power of the pink Chaddi. Link via Ultra Violet […]
[…] young feminists all over the country are raving about this movement, there are some voice of dissents as well. Usha writes: But send him my precious lingerie? No way. […]
funny: but is he at all capable of getting the point
Would be good to send the RS a valentine day e-postcard: the the pinkchaddy logo as attachment
ramsena@shriramsena.com
keep them busy reading instead of beating women
send the fellows an email valentine card with the pinkchaddy logo:
ramsena@shriramsena.com
keep them busy
This is a great idea to put Pramod Muthalik and all likeminded fanatics to shame. They have brought shame to themselves and also to their families. They can keep these pink chaddis as souveniers and show them off to their wives.
maybe you would like this:
http://ilesh-artandfunwithpicture.blogspot.com/2009/02/valentines-day-generated-in-gujarat.html
Mine’s in! A nice baby pink it is too. I’m sure they’ll love it. 😉
Now what do you do about this (don’t know where to put this comment so here goes):
Pak girl beaten up for sporting tattoo in Urdu
22-year-old Saba Najam was at a Malad mall last week when some women beat her up and dragged her to the cops over a tattoo on her back; she left for Pakistan on Friday
read here:
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/20090119200901190252246906371d0fc/Pak-girl-beaten-up-for-sporting-tattoo-in-Urdu
have no words….
i really appreciate the innovative idea that you have come up wid. i had a query. For those of us who are not in B’lore how can v send our ‘chaddis’. after all v dont wanna b left out on valentine’s day. v too want to xpress our ‘love’ to the self styled moral police!!!!
sending a chaddi to him is wrong. he wears only langottis. so why should his wife enjoy my favourite pink chaddi?
I will be passing through Bangalore at the time and intend to drop in our chaddis (my wife’s and mine) at the office on the 13th. Is that okay?
If you guys are planning to go out that day, this is one man who knows the area and is willing to come along, in case of trouble. I might be able to organize some more people as well. We would have loved to go to Mangalore with the girls to the same pub where the incident happened, but can’t.
I don’t support this campaign. It is as vulger as Muthaliks tactics. If at all you have enough clothes to send to Muthalik, send those to needy poor than him. And send full clothes of any color. Not only pink chaddis. If you come out with any such campaign, let me know, I will help organize more and more clothes.
Kindly do some thing constructive, rather then doing which is stupid and modesty of women will be questioned.There are millions of poor people around without food, clothes and shelther.If their was an campaign to collect clothes for the poor that would have been more Appropriate.
With this gesture of “pink chaddi campaign” there is No difference between Muthalik and The anti- muthalik people, since both approach are Vulgar and d-grading..
sending someone your panties is gross.Will you send your panties to your neighborhood, How cheap and Crooked you people are..
Folks you don’t get it. You are making a non entity Ram Sene and Pramod Muthalik famous by these things.
The whole idea of the pub attack and the subsequent media coverage was a smokescreen to cover up certain Mining deals in Bellary done by the corrupt BJP government. This is an inside information most Karnataka Government officials know. Whole of the media and public are now debating and discussing these non events like pub attack and valentines day. In the meantime BJP MLAs in bellary are siphoning croores and crores of rupees apart from appropriating the mining land. But none in the media is bothered about it. The Sangh Parivar plan has worked.
Another innovate masterpiece from the Rama Sene folks. :
http://www.thepinkcondomcampaign.blogspot.com/
I guess now they have come to terms with loose women and such. Condoms are much more cheaper and fulfill a much higher fucntion than cheddi. Especially for the promiscious it is a boon. But I am not sure whether condoms are secular enough. As the mullahs and the catholic preists (no less than the Pope) have condemned condoms and asked the followes to breed incessently. The condom campaign will continue beyond Valentines day. Lucky you.
I did visit the blog of this campaign, and read all the comments (and commented too). With all due respect, this made-to-look-cool campaign of sending undergarments seems to focus more on defending the right to patronize a pub, rather than the core issue of women [freedom, violence]. Only 5% of indian public (those who are blod enough to accept such ideas) will go for this. What about the rest of 95%?
I can imagine how Muthalik and others can/might use this to their advantage, somewhat similar to how Modi capitalized on some of Congress/Sonia Gandhi’s extravagant remarks before the last Gujarat election. A sample Sri Ram Sene speech in a few weeks may look like: “Do you want a public give-and-take of pink chaddies? Is that the culture that you want India to be identified with? Should we not do whatever it takes to fight it?”. The 95% of audience, comprising mostly rural, under-educated, middle-class people rooted in tradition, would respond with an instant, unanimous, uproarious backing. So, it’s crucial that we protest by reasonable, responsible, farsighted and moderate means, which this campaign lacks in my humble opinion. This way, I clearly see more harm than good being done. Anyone who’s publicly promoting such ideas should think responsibly about the possible outcomes, as your blind steps (though with good intention) might hurt future of many!
this would be way we can counter humiliate pramod muthalik..hats off to those who cane up wid this novel idea..good luck ..m thr wid u guys
hi lodeke bal gand daba ku baite ok
sending a chaddi to him is wrong. he wears only langottis. so why should his wife enjoy my favourite pink chaddi?
Why do’nt u people send him PINK BIKNI.
Obviously there will still be people in India who don’t get it with their comments like; “the modesty of you women will be questioned”.
Mothelick himself has said, “since they are women, it is them who will look suspect”.
They don’t get that THAT is the whole point. That the only point of sending an intimate inner wear, one that rubs softly against our Va-Jay-Jays, is a statement saying, ” we don’t care about this lajja you are trying to instill within us. we are going to be just who we are, lajja or not”.
And that Motherlick is the one, in the year 2009, who will look suspect for even making such concepts.
But they won’t get it because they are of a different level of education and awareness.
Oh well. There are obviously THOUSANDS who DO get it, so keep up the good work girls!
Don’t lower your standards to their’s. Make them come up to your’s!
And if that can’t happen, maybe India just needs another partition, one section for the progressives and another for the regressives.
The fun part about sending chaddis is that it is fun, and really humorous. Sending chaddis in India where “lajja bhushanam stri”…. who would’ve thought?!
Next time lets send lacey bras. Ooh la la!
Disturbing news in the Hindu:
http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/12/stories/2009021256500100.htm
Schoolgirl commits suicide
Sudipto Mondal
MANGALORE: A 15-year-old schoolgirl hanged herself to death at Mulky in Dakshina Kannada on Wednesday morning after she was publicly humiliated by a suspected Hindutva fringe group, according to eyewitness accounts. Superintendent of Police N. Sathish Kumar, however, denied the involvement of any group in her death.
According to Rafique, a helper in a bus, the victim and another girl boarded the bus at Kinnigoli village at 12 noon on Tuesday. The girls, both students of the Aikala PU College, got off at Moodbidri along with Abdul Salim, with whom one of the girls was friendly. As they were walking towards Venoor, a group of suspected Hindutva youths allegedly accosted them. The girls were berated for being friendly with someone from another religion and all the three were beaten up. The bus, on its return journey, was stopped by another group that dragged Rafique out and thrashed him. He was taken to the place where Salim and the girls were held.
The captors then called Moodbidri SI Bharathi G., who took the four to the police station. The parents of one of the girls were summoned and Salim was allegedly forced to write a letter of apology. The girl and her family were said to have been humiliated at the station by a mob.
The next morning, the girl committed suicide. After her death, Salim was arrested following a complaint by her father of rape and abetting in the suicide of a minor.
———————————————————————————–
What is the current threshold for the number of women who need to die, get molested and beaten before the Government takes action?
Is there ANYONE who is safe in this state anymore?
Pramod Muthalik, you are the reason this girl lost her life. Are you happy now?
Also, Mr. Muthalik, this girl was NOT going to a pub, she was NOT in a rave party, she was NOT dancing naked. She was minding her own business and going back home from school.
Mr. Yediyurappa, do you have the courage and integrity to take special interest in this case, catch the culprits, punish them severely and make this an example-setting case for all those who think they can manipulate anyone’s life?
this is being done to gain popularity, whereas everybody knows that nothing is universally true or can be made applicable …. …. … just a wasteful exercise!!!
@AB: Like the way you have shown your agony.. but had this girl’s incident happened before pub attacks, do you think all these pink chaddi campaign guys would’ve shown the same amount of interest!!!! I don’t think so! There have been many incidents of women were rapped due to moral policing, and people are still worried about their right to drink and go to pubs. Such campaign only demonstrate a childish immature act. I wonder what is it that is going to be achieved by this? Have they come up with the list of demands for government? Have they come up with what are the goals and how to achieve that? I am sure had a tini-tiny thought been given to the motive of human rights, they surely would have scrapped this kiddish idea (which more or less looks like a publicity stunt) and gone for a more mature act.
There’s another protest being organized today, that I find far better. Visit: bengaluru-unites.blogspot.com
@Sejal Parikh: The safety of pub-going women (who are supposedly ‘high society’ and ‘loose and forward’) as well as the safety of the girls who do not go to the pub are BOTH important. No woman should be harassed, molested or attacked by ‘moral police’ or anyone else for that matter. Violence against women is unacceptable,no matter which strata of society the women belong to, no matter what their age, no matter what they are up to.
It might be true that incidents like this girl’s suicide would not have been even reported in a newspaper if the pub attacks, which got so much publicity had not happened.
I am sorry that I gave the impression that I was speaking against the pub-going women. I was trying to make the point that these ‘moral police’ are not limiting themselves to women who go to pubs (for this they had support from a lot of people who object women going to the pub). As mentioned in one of the earlier posts right here in UV, these goons have been targeting women in other incidents, even while the pub attacks were gaining media attention.
I fully support women who are adults to make their own decision whether or not they want to go to the pub. I am rather amused by the pink chaddi campaign, I think it is a great idea.
If you do not agree with the Pink Chaddi campaign, you do not have to participate in this campaign and instead can participate in some other campaign, as you have chosen to do.
muthaLI(C)K comes wid d idea of presentin those gals wid pink sarees who present him pink chaddis..ere comes d twist..gals can atleast wear d pink sarees but wass muthalik gonna wid pink chaddis..
AB: Thank you for pointing this out — “The safety of pub-going women (who are supposedly ‘high society’ and ‘loose and forward’) as well as the safety of the girls who do not go to the pub are BOTH important. No woman should be harassed, molested or attacked by ‘moral police’ or anyone else for that matter. Violence against women is unacceptable,no matter which strata of society the women belong to, no matter what their age, no matter what they are up to.”
Important for all of us to remember that.
And regarding the girl’s suicide, I read a rather confusing account in DNA — wasn’t sure whether it was a case of moral policing or parental interference which the reporter had picked up and put under the general banner. Sigh. Either way, it’s horrible.
A random lurker: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. For having the patience to spell out (yet again) what should be pretty obvious.
Sejal: You seem to have an axe to grind. Of course, class divides find their way into all our behaviour, often unwittingly. But I think it’s a bit silly to make sweeping generalizations. Many of the women involved in protests are reasonably socially and politically conscious individuals in any case and have been active on other fronts / causes also.
Plus, this incident is an example of huge lawlessness also because of the numbers involved and the nature of the crime — if a bunch of goons can do this in an public place in broad daylight in an urban centre, what guarantee can the law provide against more covert crimes or less ‘modern’ places. This was not one or two people operating in some side alley. Nor did it take place in some remote interior where one can explain it saying that development has not yet reached there and all we need to do is educate, educate, educate.
Because if the country’s richer, more independent, more empowered women are not safe, what chance in hell do poorer, uneducated, less empowered women have?
Do you see my point?
While I agree that a lot of urban women need to be politically and socially aware in a more sustained way, it also seems a little counter-productive to shut them up with all kinds of guilt now that they are being aware / active. Or is it simply the most convenient ‘naysayer / devil’s advocate’ position that will make one look clever?
@AB: As you said, yeah I don’t quite agree with the pink chaddi campaign, and I did participate in another campaign (http://bengaluru-unites.blogspot.com/)
But my primary concern with this pink chaddi champaign I see is, It might end up doing more harm than good. Which is what I am worried about! And that’s why I have been putting my point across whatever blog I find spreading word for it. This kind of campaign might easily be used against, and as I already mentioned in another comment, the rest of the 90-95% of the Indian(or kannada) public, which will surely not connect with this campaign, may easily be diverted to the other extreme. Its important to maintain a wise balance in whatever the campaign we start.
No wonder that this particular campaign got so much publicity, but it might just turn into negative publicity and backfire, and actions of few might make others suffer!!! [e.g., would u want these party or their supporting party to win the next elections, just like Modi won in Gujarat after Tahelka news! Believe me, being a native of Gujarat, I know what can happen!]
@Anindita Sengupta — running short of time, so will respond to your comment later 🙂
Hi,
I wish I could participate, but I don’t live in India. I just want to applaude you for coming up with such a clever and spot-on campaign – congratulations!! Here’s to making a difference that is long overdue!
This is a poem I wrote to Mr. Muthalik and his men.
here goes.
The Tsunami of Love
“If you’re the painter then I’m the paint,
If you flash that smile again, I will faint,
As our love stands strong in this world of Terror,
This is to the Man of Mangalore who committed this error.
Respected Sir, this is a note to you,
If you can drink in bars, why can’t we too?
By slapping us, women and pulling our hair,
We write this to you, not a least bit scared,
To show our love we will send you cards,
Signed lovingly by your female fans
Who simply adore the words you speak,
It is because of you, that all their hearts beat.
With more of love, we will send you pink
Cards, Pink hearts, pink garments, all signed in red ink,
So that if you’re alone and not feeling all that fine,
You can always rely on your 10,000 valentines,
I hope you party on 14th of Feb,
But do not dare to log into the web,
Beacuse you’ll be flooded by your fan mail,
And respected Sir, this will continue till we see you in jail,
We pray to see you guilty of your sins,
We stand here united through thick and thin,
No wall, no weapon, not even the lord from above,
Will be able to protect you from this Tsunami of Love.
Happy Valentines Day Sir.
With all due respect and unconditional love.”
🙂
@ Anindita Sengupta : “Because if the country’s richer, more independent, more empowered women are not safe, what chance in hell do poorer, uneducated, less empowered women have?”
As a supporter of the pink chaddi campaign (my girlfriend and i are sending some knotted lesbian love), I cannot agree with ur statement.
Such a liberal, materialist notion does not correspond with the cultural particularity and the ingenious ways of negotiation women have.The high rate of foeticide in South Delhi, and the reluctance to step outside arbit lakshman rekhas are typical of bourgeois women in India.
Yes, invisible and disadvantaged women have few opportunites, yet, we must look at whether there are also structures within oppressed groups that will better serve our feminist endeavours.
FS: You have a point, especially with regard to the female foeticide issue. But I was talking specifically in relation to public law and order / violence related issues (since that’s what my argument with Sejal Parikh was about). I feel that a women who is aware of the law and has the money to fight cases etc would be in a better situation to fight such battles. Also, by and large the police / law etc in the country do favour the rich and the ‘elite’. There definitely is an assumption, perhaps false, that a hip pub would be a safer place for a women to drink etc than a cheap bar. An assumption that I also tend to give in to.
Maybe this is not true and we need to examine this …? Like you said, bourgeois women are more constrained in some ways, then we need to talk about why.
And even more reason that ‘elite’ women should not be dismissed as having no problems and undeserving of battles.
Another nicely written post that I think echoes my thoughts better than me!
http://roopscoop.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/pcc-contd/
1. his made-to-look-cool campaign of sending undergarments seems to focus more on defending the right to patronize a pub, rather than the core issue of women [freedom, violence]. May be campaign owners had started with good intentions, but supporters that they have got are hardly worried about the primary goal!
2. The campaign got easy publicity due to blogging and internet networking, but lets see, how much of Indian population (well if not India, you can also consider Karnataka’s population here) is internet savvy? 25%? Okay, assuming that, how many of them are bold enough to accept such campaigns? 5% ?
What about the rest 95%? Will they approve such campaign?
3. Continuing on the same thoughts, I am concluding that 90-95% of the Indian population is non-intellectual, narrow-minded and will not connect to such campaigns.
4. I can imagine how Muthalik and others can/might use this to their advantage, somewhat similar to how Modi capitalized on some of Congress/Sonia Gandhi’s extravagant remarks and Tahelka cases before the last Gujarat election. (I am a native of Gujarat, so believe me, I know how this affected the mindsets!)
5. A sample Sri Ram Sene speech in a few weeks may look like: “Do you want a public give-and-take of pink chaddies? Is that the culture that you want India to be identified with? Should we not do whatever it takes to fight it?”. The 90-95% of audience, comprising mostly rural, under-educated, middle-class people rooted in tradition, would respond with an instant, unanimous, uproarious backing.
6. No wonder that this particular campaign got so much publicity, but it might just turn into negative publicity and backfire, and actions of few might make others suffer!!! [e.g., would u want these party or their supporting party to win the next elections, just like Modi won in Gujarat?]
So, it’s crucial that we protest by reasonable, responsible, farsighted and moderate means, which this campaign lacks in my humble opinion. This way, I clearly see more harm than good being done. Anyone who’s publicly promoting such ideas should think responsibly about the possible outcomes, as your blind steps (though with good intention) might hurt future of many!
hey……. i m a big fan of this campaign instead of jus sitting home you tried to do some thing about the attacks but jus take care that noboby is harmed in any way in this fight for freedom for women
sejal parekh, you said There have been many incidents of women were rapped due to moral policing, and people are still worried about their right to drink and go to pubs.
did you do anything? what is your problem if women now decided to speak up? you don’t have to agree with this campaign but putting it down you are no less. you don’t do a thing and then question others who do something which they think is right. because of this campaign tomorrow there won’t be any outfit attacking anyone. govt. woke up and is on high alert. if feel for other poor women then you should have your own campaign too. speaking big is easy. doing something is tough.
For anything big there will be always some small minds pulling it down. No one cares. You don’t like this campaign. Move on. Most of us real women like it. We need our right to go drink too if you have a problem then do whatever you can. Tomorrow when one of you is beaten up in broad daylight then you will understand why we need a campaign which caught attention.
@ Maya : “did you do anything?”
Well, I really don’t see a point of announcing in the kind of activities I’m involved in, but as you have specifically asked, yes, I have been taking part in various protest, and activities (movie screening) related to communalism. Whatever steps I take, I think them through before supporting blindly. Unlike some of the pink chaddi camapign supporters, who speak up thinking it will look coo 🙂
Again there is no need of having separate campaign if there are already plenty of them going on. You just take part in some.
“We need our right to go drink too if you have a problem then do whatever you can.” – that’s exactly what is bothering me.. most of you women are worried about your right to drink. Real issue has taken aback! Just answer me one thing, If Mutalik batalian hadn’t done anything to pubs, or passed any comment on your so-called right to drink, would you have showed your guts to speak up? Or say if there was no pink chaddi champaing to show off your coolness, would you have taken part in normal campaigns and protests??
And talking of my activities, lemme know if you have spoken up against any tiny issue in your lifetime before you went blindly into this whole PCC ? 😀
[…] More thoughts on The Pink Chaddi Campaign. […]
[…] Anindita Sengupta at Ultraviolet thinks that the Pink Chaddi campaign is about shaming the right-wing conservatives. […]
Initiated by Nisha Susan, a Christian, this is a Christian conspiracy to lower moral standards of Indian women. Obviously, the Pink Chaddi Campaign is financed by some Baptist or Catholic group. The Campaign is vulgar since gifting the panties is an after-act token of appreciation of good performance, in the West. That the Christian initiative dares not send Chaddies to Moslem clerics shows their true agenda.