Eve Teasing: A Trauma

By Hema Sagvekar

When I was growing up, some unpleasant acts in the surrounding caught my eye. One of them was eve-teasing. Eve teasing through words or mere gestures has the same impact on fragile minds as the one with actions. The impact of it can be simply fear towards the opposite gender. But it might also cause trauma, depression, or even an extreme course of action by the victim. When I experienced this in my early teens, it was next to impossible to get the incident out of my mind. Being an emotional person, it used to haunt my days and nights. I used to pray to God, not to repeat such an incident ever again.

But the saying, 'Man proposes and God disposes' proved right in my case. In the journey of my life, I experienced such uncomfortable words, touches, and gestures several times. It made me wonder why did it happen to me? Why do such unethical people exist?

As I grew up, the time I took to forget those traumatic incidents reduced to some extent. Getting busy with shouldering the responsibilities of the family helped me to forget them faster.

Not only me but there are also numerous such women and girls who have faced and still face such disturbing moments. Be it a touch or a stare, it might traumatize a person forever.

One day, a thought passed my mind. Have you all seen the idols of Goddesses during festivities and processions? These are made, carried in vehicles, and set up in temporary sheds often by men. During these processes, the idols need to be lifted, handled, and touched. Does this affect them too? Does the purity of those Goddesses get tainted in this process? Do they feel humiliated by these actions?

The answer was 'no'.

The Goddesses are so pious, so divine that a mere touch cannot taint any aspect of them. Be it mental or physical. Their existence and aura are too divine to be touched by mere humans. It remains the same, before and after the touch. If they do not get affected or disturbed by these low lives, why should I or any other female?

Believe me, this thought changed my entire outlook toward eve-teasing. The reaction it used to derive from me before, is now pacified to a great extent. We try our best not to allow anyone or any hand to touch us without our consent. But despite this, if it occurs, remember what I told you about Goddesses. You are also one.

Hopefully, the trauma or suffering might reduce. And in the course of time, fade out completely.

By Hema Sagvekar