This (#me) too inspires change

A year on since Tarana Burke exposed Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo has seen so many skeletons stumbling out of the closet! Some sackings, stalled projects; FIRs and counter claims, publicity stunts or not, this hashtag has trended and how! The result: some baby steps towards the solution — if you go by what youngsters think.

SPEAKING UP: (L-R) Rajat Chauhan, Pallavi Joshi, Lovish Thakur, Seema Chauhan and Radhika Lopa

Mona

A year on since Tarana Burke exposed Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo has seen so many skeletons stumbling out of the closet! Some sackings, stalled projects; FIRs and counter claims, publicity stunts or not, this hashtag has trended and how! The result: some baby steps towards the solution — if you go by what youngsters think.

Word of caution

“Initiating a dialogue is the first step towards finding a solution,” believes Tanya Lamba, BA third-year student at SD College-32. Even if 50 per cent of the posts that have appeared on social media expose the truth, the purpose is achieved. “Consider it as a word of caution to men who still inhabit the old world and consider that inappropriate behaviour with women would go unchecked, unpunished.”

When we are strongly striving for an equal world, movements like this give impetus to the just cause, believes her college-mate Maninder Singh. “If you go by our religion, women were not given an equal but exalted status for they bear the kings and make kingdoms thrive.” How we lost track and stooped so low is surprising.

Face of truth

The movement has sure exposed ‘fake’ faces. Says Shubham Bushehri, another student, “These so called sanskari, successful people have been exposed. It sure deters many others.”

However, there is a flip side too! “Why couldn’t they stand up then and there,” questions engineering student Pallavi Joshi, while her friend Seema Chauhan adds, “Just the way they are garnering support now, they could have 10-20 years back too had they only spoken.”

Many others see #MeToo as a platform where women who were generally divided have come together to fight for a cause. “I completely understand that fear of losing livelihood made women stay mum for all these years, but now they are standing up,” says Seema Chauhan.

Ria Garg believes it has led to change, “Sajid is out of Housefull 4, while Weinstein has been shunted out of the producers’ guild; this sure sends a strong message to society at large.”

Raman Kashayp, who is preparing for bank exams, opines, “Our generation can speak about it and the coming one would be strong enough to stand up against it; that’s the way we progress.”

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