An Indian Journey through Lent, Day 20
We’re halfway through Lent. However, the more important statistic for us just now is that only four days remain until the first of the cavalry, in the form of Drs Philip and Anna, are due to arrive and relieve Lena. They will be quickly followed by a Korean-American doctor, then two more doctors. Though the last 8 weeks have been difficult I didn’t ever think Manali was ever going to be Lena’s Waterloo, but she is, I think, awaiting these reinforcements with the expectancy of a Wellington hoping that the Prussians under von Blücher would arrive in time to help defeat Napoleon! Sorry for the florid male military image! I blame it on spending some time with my “near-twin” Thomas’ elder brother George, a military historian!
Two Facebook posts that are being extensively shared at the moment have persuaded me to return to the troubled theme of relationships in India, this time from a more personal perspective. One is a photo of two young men sitting in women’s only seats on a Delhi metro train, forcing women, one of whom is carrying a small child, to stand. Viewers are encouraged to “share” the photo so as to “out” the offenders. I did so, with the proviso that my experience of the Delhi Metro has been more positive than that. On the other hand, I’m not a woman, and the fact that there are women’s only carriages on each train, and that I was promptly warned away by women when trying to photograph a sign about them indicates that this is an issue.
The second post, shared by at least two female principals of Church of North India Schools in our Diocese, is entitled “My Ordeal in Rajdhani Express”. The author, a wife and mother travelling from Mumbai to Delhi, has, on a website she set up for the purpose (www.sweetsharing.com), shared the experience of having her family harassed on their overnight train by a group of men.
I come from a family of three sons. Our father taught us to honour and respect women, so my conversion to intentional feminism (I’d rather call it common decency), at least in regards to how men should treat women, came late and slowly. However, my introduction to the effect that sex can have on the male ego, which lies at the heart of this issue, came one Friday night more than 40 years ago. The group of about 15 senior scouts I had recently joined returned from an activity. One of the older scouts spotted someone he knew with a girlfriend, and insulted him. That apparently required a response to impress said girlfriend, but because the offending scout was standing in the midst of a number of others he was too difficult a target. I, being younger, smaller and standing on the outskirts, made a good substitute. Instinctively I did my best to stand my ground but not retaliate to the boyfriend’s physical provocation. That was just as well. The scout who started the fracas later told me that his acquaintance always carried a knife, and would have used it if given the excuse. Eventually the boyfriend forced me to my knees, deemed that his honour was satisfied and left with his girlfriend.
In tomorrow’s entry I’ll reflect a little on how this stance of non-provocative standing my ground has served me well on occasions in the years since.
We’re halfway through Lent. However, the more important statistic for us just now is that only four days remain until the first of the cavalry, in the form of Drs Philip and Anna, are due to arrive and relieve Lena. They will be quickly followed by a Korean-American doctor, then two more doctors. Though the last 8 weeks have been difficult I didn’t ever think Manali was ever going to be Lena’s Waterloo, but she is, I think, awaiting these reinforcements with the expectancy of a Wellington hoping that the Prussians under von Blücher would arrive in time to help defeat Napoleon! Sorry for the florid male military image! I blame it on spending some time with my “near-twin” Thomas’ elder brother George, a military historian!
Two Facebook posts that are being extensively shared at the moment have persuaded me to return to the troubled theme of relationships in India, this time from a more personal perspective. One is a photo of two young men sitting in women’s only seats on a Delhi metro train, forcing women, one of whom is carrying a small child, to stand. Viewers are encouraged to “share” the photo so as to “out” the offenders. I did so, with the proviso that my experience of the Delhi Metro has been more positive than that. On the other hand, I’m not a woman, and the fact that there are women’s only carriages on each train, and that I was promptly warned away by women when trying to photograph a sign about them indicates that this is an issue.
The second post, shared by at least two female principals of Church of North India Schools in our Diocese, is entitled “My Ordeal in Rajdhani Express”. The author, a wife and mother travelling from Mumbai to Delhi, has, on a website she set up for the purpose (www.sweetsharing.com), shared the experience of having her family harassed on their overnight train by a group of men.
I come from a family of three sons. Our father taught us to honour and respect women, so my conversion to intentional feminism (I’d rather call it common decency), at least in regards to how men should treat women, came late and slowly. However, my introduction to the effect that sex can have on the male ego, which lies at the heart of this issue, came one Friday night more than 40 years ago. The group of about 15 senior scouts I had recently joined returned from an activity. One of the older scouts spotted someone he knew with a girlfriend, and insulted him. That apparently required a response to impress said girlfriend, but because the offending scout was standing in the midst of a number of others he was too difficult a target. I, being younger, smaller and standing on the outskirts, made a good substitute. Instinctively I did my best to stand my ground but not retaliate to the boyfriend’s physical provocation. That was just as well. The scout who started the fracas later told me that his acquaintance always carried a knife, and would have used it if given the excuse. Eventually the boyfriend forced me to my knees, deemed that his honour was satisfied and left with his girlfriend.
In tomorrow’s entry I’ll reflect a little on how this stance of non-provocative standing my ground has served me well on occasions in the years since.
No comments:
Post a Comment