Universities and colleges in India have been busy in unique fests and
shows. Strangely, they are not academic but they are getting big support
from all walks of life. Teachers, students, media, intellectuals,
activists, NGOs etc. are all with them in their mission. The majority of
these supporters have left leanings.
Famous Indian universities organise hugs and kiss fest in the campus and they march on the roads showing their so called bold acts. Parades by LGBTs and their supporters are a common feature in the campuses. Now the exhibitions of undergarments like bras and panties have also become a freedom of expression. A college of DU organised a play which resulted in a big controversy for using and showing two words and items those symbolises women’s undergarments means bra and panty. But the principal and teachers have to retreat when the show got a huge support. Supporters even argued that bra-panties are not bombs. These are new liberals.
Noted columnist Malini Nair mentioned an interesting tradition of
shyness in this regard. In the classic work of Aparna Sen, there was a
brief but brilliant scene in the middle of 36 Chowringhee Lane. A young
poet, who is looking for some intimate relationship with his girlfriend,
got an offer to use her drawing room from the ageing and lonely Violet
Stoneham (Jennifer Kendall). Violet asks for pardon, hastily goes to the
clothesline and shoves off her bra and panty and shoves them into a
laundry bag. (TOI, New-Delhi)
All the viewers laughed in the dark cinema halls; it was old granny’s bra and panty and Violet were also old enough to feel shy, but the audience also understood the hidden sex undertone. It was strong family and social moral that Indians inherited from mothers, grandmothers and aunts. It was deep and clear code in our sensibility that woman’s underclothes cannot be openly visible or talked about.
People cannot forget Lucille Ball – famous actress, comedian, television actress, asking her daughter: “Where is my B-R-A?” looking embarrassingly at her son who tells her expressionless: “It is hanging on the L-I-N-E mom.”
Decades have passed but we Indians believe in those sanskars. The panel judging a university theatre festival hosted by Sahitya Kala Parishad of Delhi government rejected a play produced by Kamala Nehru College for using the words bra and panty along with ‘other cuss words.’
Ironically, the world has rejoicing Beyonce’s famous baby bump photo, in burgundy bra and ruffled panty. Indian actress Kareena Kapoor also used her baby bump for publicity.
The new liberal brigade and messiahs of freedom of expression are not happy with the age-old moral sanskari and sarkari decision. They loathed of any ‘hai-hai’ question attitude of women’s unearthings and hidden treasures. These new moralists want total transparency. The sarksri order was withdrawn after widespread support from professional protesters. Bra-panty brigade emerged victorious in this tug of war.
An alumnus and a product of college dramatics, theatre actor Mallika Taneja, has left bra and panty far behind. She appeared on the stage stripped down to her underwear in her scornfully humorous 10-minute act, ‘Thoda Dhyan Se.’ She further mocked the traditional clothes and proceeded to wrap herself in a suffocating shroud of clothes to ‘stay safe’ on the roads. The audience had a free laughter on this free and funny show. (TOI, New-Delhi)
She further says, “I find it embarrassing that the judges are embarrassed. We put a panty on the stage for our play on incest more than a decade ago when I was in college, for heaven's sake. University theatre is a place for bold experiments that challenge all kinds of stereotypes. This is just another episode in the increasing clampdown that all arts are facing.” (TOI, New-Delhi)
It is the values and sanskars which create a sense of shyness about such underthings. It is unwritten and accepted social convention about such modesty. The bra and panty have to be covered with a towel. They can’t be hung openly. They are hung in dark corner or in the bathroom itself. Even women are more comfortable with women staff when they go to purchase such stuff.
Indian women still face uneasiness to buy such stuff from male staff. Such undergarments are sold with bindi, bangles, pins and lotions in the general ‘Ladies Fashion Stores’ usually sold by some aged uncleji of young chotu or bhaiyya. After talking about ‘Size’ and ‘Trial” they literally run to hide the shyness with whatever they get. It is just not underclothes those make them feel shy. There are other things like condom, sanitary pads/napkins those make them red.
Here a very funny scene from the classic ‘Chalti ka Naam Gaadi’ of the 50s, starring Anoop Kumar is worth mentioning who was very shy of women, took the lipstick of Madhubala by mistake. He jumped in horror and screaming ‘Kartooooos!’ So for ordinary Indian men and women bra, panty, condom, sanitary napkins, vagina cream are no less than kartoos (bullet). These are Indian values.
Famous film actress turned columnist Twinkle Khanna wrote in her Sunday Times column, sanitary pads are treated like radioactive isotopes at shops, to be packaged first in newspapers and then handed out in a black plastic bag in case anyone saw it and figured that you bled once every month. The other “kartoos“ is all mention of blood in periods ¬ recall the online spoofs last year on the clean blue “blood“ in all sanitary napkin ads? Then there is vagina, lactation...the list is a long one.
Commenting on this tendency, US entrepreneur Miki Agarwal had this to say: “We were talking about what happens to half the world's population here.“Indeed, half the world's population uses, washes and changes you-know-what and you-know-(TOI, New-Delhi)
It is very difficult to understand what is academic in bra-panty show or discussion? University and colleges are not for such vulgar display. They are poisoning the young and innocent minds and destroying the future generations.
But ironically, these warriors support burqa, hijab, triple talaq, halala and unequal laws for Muslim women. All are silent on the denial to pass the film “Lipstick under my Burqa.” These free thinkers support Nihalani’s Victorian morals.
A film that has won honour and awards across the world is being denied permission where there are millions of free thinkers in universities and colleges. Here a creative freedom is curbed but there is total silence on the campuses and roads. In the same nation, CBFC is equating sex with sin and desire with guilt.
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