Response to 'Slut Walk? No Thanks' by Seema Goswami

(Edited version of this response is published on June 26, 2011 of BRUNCH, HT page 4)

I was mesmerized by the way Seema Goswami expressed herself sensibly in “Slut Walk? No Thanks!” (Page 20, BRUNCH, HT June 19, 2011 please visit the following link http://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/lifestyle/Slut-Walk-No-Thanks/Article1-710557.aspx ). I have always maintained that “right to dress” should not be stretched to have “right to undress” and “freedom of expression” should never be misused as “freedom to hurt”. She is absolutely right in placing that freedom and rights can never come bereft of responsibilities. Just as the slut walkers want others to behave responsibly (when they are slovenly dressed) they too have the same obligation to observe. I often wonder why females (unlike males) measure their liberty with their freedom of showing off their skin. When males show their sexuality they never complain if they get a response (if at all they get!) but females have a tendency to go overboard to show their sexuality but start complaining the moment they get the ‘desired?’ attention. Of course nobody can justify rape but just as ‘murder’ does not always fall under the ‘rarest of the rare’ category, rapists will always attempt to differentiate between a ‘seduced rape’ and a ‘forced rape’. And if females experience their inability in differentiating between rapes then they should not try to become men by downgrading themselves to compete with males in the race of the ‘show of sexuality’. Instead, they should attempt at shaking the conscience of males by exposing their usual tendencies of showing their sexuality - verbally or otherwise. I am sure females can do this without having to reveal their own sexuality and without feeding fodders to the male (hypocritically-sick) mind that desperately look for an opportunity to ogle even at the slut walkers.