Sexual violence and rape have suddenly taken centrestage on national TV, social media, office-lunch discussions, pre-meeting chit-chat, you name it. Not to mention the alarming incidents of child sexual assaults shaking up the entire nation. People are finally protesting against the victim-blaming-and-shaming culture and the fact that perpetrators often get away without facing the consequences of their actions. I sat back and wondered what my little girls are hearing or seeing that might shape their reactions towards sexual violence. My thoughts also wandered back to what I believed about sex, babies, marriage and men as I was growing up in the days when Doordarshan was the only TV channel and when Saturday and Sunday evenings were the only time we got to watch movies. Turns out, some of my notions were downright ridiculous. And all of them were fed by Indian cinema (Bollywood as well as regional films). I decided to pen them down when I saw this beautifully illustrated story
#STANDWITHPRIYA which reinforces (sadly) that we are still battling the misconceptions and attitudes that were prevalent during my childhood.

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