Reebok’s new ad campaign #FitToFight is driving home the message of
women’s fitness with a twist in the tale. Eve teasing – the menace in our
society is portrayed through a girl encountering three men who are out to get her.
She draws strength to fight the bullies, with the backdrop narrative of a
motivator and the ad ends with a powerful message to all women - Fight More,
Be more Human, urging all women to be fearless and fight for their rights. With
brand ambassador Kangana Ranaut at her
fittest best, this ad campaign is inspiring
and pushing women to become better
versions of themselves, not just physically but also mentally and socially. This ad has truly blown me away.
I love Kangana Ranaut for her
versatility, for breaking sterotypes and
above all for her true understanding of cinema as art! As for
Reebok – Nike has lost out on me to you!
As women we all have stories to tell – our
very own stories of fighting the society and the gender demons. I have had
heart to heart talks with women and how they have opened their hearts out . The horror stories that we
live just because we are born as girls in India. I have had tears rolling down
my cheeks as I heard stories of groping , elbowing , lewd remarks and gestures,
physical abuses and it goes on.
My story of
‘Girls Don’t Fight’ began not when I was a child. Don’t remember being
eve teased, hooted at or followed home by lecherous men. I am one of those
lucky girls to have been born and brought up in a gender neutral community –
and I am ever grateful for that. Well, my first job brought me to New Delhi in
the mid 90’s. It was a balmy Spring afternoon – a day before Holi ! Mabel and I
were walking down one of Defence Colony
alleys all dressed up , with a bouquet for her pregnant friend we were
visiting. Mabel was hit by a water filled balloon on her back and then came
some more. We turned around to see three giggling losers by a roadside store.
One had his back towards us. It was him. Before I realised Mabel walked towards
the guys, I ran behind her - I knew what was to follow was not a pleasant thing
at all. We asked – he denied. Mabel pounced at this guy. I followed suit- I had
to stand by my sister who was wronged! My long nails made vertical strips
across his dark shiny face. He fought back- we tore his shirt. Spewing
adrenalin and fighting the newfound fear – we both kicked and hit and smashed.
By now there was a crowd – took me quite a while to know that people loved to
watch these ‘tamashas’. An old lady appeared and shouted ‘maro isko’ pointing
towards me. I looked around at the chaos. Oblivious of the consequences we
stood there - when a sedan stopped by and a gentleman stepped out and
intervened. All those years of praying to the Guardian Angel was bearing fruit.
We wanted to report him to the police. With a distorted sense of time and life
we headed towards the Defence Colony Police station in his swanky sedan. I
wrote my first FIR. His name was Rakesh Singh - a guy who was out to show me that
I was sub - human. How wrong he was! It was almost sundown, shaken and tired we
headed towards Hotel Imperial – the most sane thing I could think of doing - met
Rahul and told him that I practised my kick boxing skills on a bully. I wonder
what must have crossed his mind that day. Today we laugh it off! It was an out
of my life experience and I vowed never to beat a guy – never, ever.
Another
unlucky encounter – amidst the cheering
and encouraged by a group of friends a guy came up to me with a rose – I waited for the right moment, made a few
calls and Rahul and I called the police
who huddled the group into the van and we pillioned on the officers bike. As
the boys (one of them an IITian) echoed their apologies – the officer pulled
out his revolver and said, “I will break your leg and then say sorry! Will that
be okay for you?” It was a scene straight out of a Bollywood movie. It was
exhilarating and empowering to walk out
of a police station past midnight and we zoom off home in the borrowed patrol
Enfield. Early next morning, to my landlady’s horror he came to collect his
machine.
Amanora Mall
the uptown mall in Pune had a coffee shop assistant blowing me a flying kiss!
Little did he realise he was playing with fire. Got him arrested and then
suddenly he is a defeated soul and I become his sister! Betrayed by his very own flying kiss, he also
has a wife at home and two little girls to take care of. He is literally diving
to my feet and it means nothing to me. The next day we get a mail that he has
been made reduntant!
Many a times
even I play dumb- get into situations that I could have avoided! On hindsight
do I not have the right to buy mangoes ? like this one time when I stepped
out of the car when I saw succulent mangoes at a roadside cart. I pick a few
when this vendor touches my forearm. It definitely was not a mistake and he
called the wrath of Gods on him. Called
the police and within minutes the Tiger Pilot was at the scene of crime! J He picked
him up by his collar , his cart and mangoes all scattered, begging and pleading
but all too late.
Stretching
over a little bridge, to get a better view of the turtles suddenly I am elbowed
by a passer-by. That vow never to bash my tormentor went out of the window.
Rahul and I beat him as my kids and parents looked on – My mom definitely had a
‘proud as a peacock’ look that day!
Booked a
cashier for misbehaviour , booked a mehendi designer for use of foul language
and now I am scratching my head if I have skipped any. Have helped women in distress a few times and
I have never been so proud of my existence.
We tend to
justify men’s behaviour. Girls are urged to ignore and walk away from
eve-teasers. You cannot fight guys, can you?
They will shame you, they will hit back , they will rape you. Be safe
than sorry! The society especially the women- mothers, aunts, girlfriends will
always advise you otherwise. Keeping quiet is not cowardice, walking away is
not cowardice.
I say IT IS! Keeping quiet is cowardice!
Walking away is cowardice! You keep
quiet - you encourage them, you walk away - you allow it to happen to someone
somewhere yet again.
What happened
to me and how I chose to retort was not just reflex action. It was a response
from my heart, from my soul, from that place within me that tells me that I am
worthy of an honourable life.Cannot deny the fact that I was a rebel deep down.I
chose not to keep silent, I chose not to walk away. I know those guys will
think a million times before they choose to beguile a woman There is no shame
or stigma talking about gender bias and the atrocities that come with it. We
all have been through it and let us not live in denial.
I am a mother
bringing up a daughter – I want a safe place for her Yes, but more so I want
her to be a fighter – I want her to believe in herself and not give in to the misogynistic mindset.We have shattered
the glass ceiling and have done more than what was expected out of us. Yet,
we are dictated as to how we should conduct ourselves and continue to be the
sub serviant gender.
Look inside
and discover the power within you – let no one and nothing define you. Honour
the power within and let one no take that away from you.
For all the
women brave hearts out there! For all of you who chose to speak up, for all of
you who chose to confront your tormentors!! I salute you because you stood your
ground.
Girls Don’t
Fight, Fight More, Be More, Be More Human.
Claudia Joshi
2, November
2017
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