02 Bottom Line
JANUARY 22, 2017
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start by identifying a ‘spot’, which needs to be ‘fixed’. And by fixing, it didn’t WHEN ‘UGLY’ IS CLEAN mean, just cleaning the spot. As ample Bangalore have been cleaned and examples in the past have proved, it takes beautified. Not only Bangalore, it has us, The Ugly Indians, only a couple of spread to cities like Meerut, Bhopal, Pune days to restore the spot, back to its and many more. Their modus operandi is original ‘glory’. Some of the examples of quite disruptive and counter-intuitive. these prospective spots were, corners There is no organization, no fixed group, which have organically become garbage just few, random people who want to dumps, the corners which are routinely change the status quo. washed by urinating men, the walls painted red by paan-spitters, etc. MODUS OPERANDI Once the spot was identified, they The whole idea emanates from the very won’t directly jump into the cleaning name of the initiative, The business. The real Ugly Indian. We Indians purpose behind the work are one of the cleanest and would be achieved only if treet garbage it is sustainable. The most hygiene friendly when we are inside our criteria by has become so sustainability homes. A tiny speck of The Ugly Indian is for the common that we spot to survive 90 days dust is frowned upon, in Indian homes. But, as soon without any supervision. accept it as can’t be a short as we step outside the perfectly normal There confines of our homes, our term fix on this issue, as perception of cleanliness this requires changes in goes for a toss. We treat people’s behavioural our public places with utmost disregard patterns. On the other hand, the issue and indifference. Wrappers, polybags, can’t be ignored as it will defeat the paper pieces, paan stains, etc are not even whole purpose of cleaning the spot. So, a considered dirty. Garbage on streets has lot of focus has to be on influencing become so common that we have accepted people’s behaviour. The shop owners, the it as an inherent part of our societal garbage collectors, the authorities structure. The first step to deal with this involved, in short all the stakeholders of problem was acceptance. Acceptance that that specific spot. we Indians are indeed ugly. The usual way to go about it would be When the mental barrier against the lecturing, venting anger, giving sermons name was conquered, the focus was to and confrontation. The Ugly Indian keep things simple. This simplicity was to would do none of these. Instead they later become one of the greatest strengths would focus on convincing and of The Ugly Indian. The group would persuasion, which will have a long-lasting ...Continued from Page 1
INSTANT JUSTICE!
S
Snapshots A Muslim widow in UP has showered with lewd of our village,” recalls taken up the gun against rowdies remarks,” she Kamta Devi, an elderly recounts. An incident women who supports She targets those who harass of a woman harassed Sahana’s efforts. girls and women in the villages for dowry in her Once a boy abducted Officials criticise this but do village - and police a girl of the village to not dare to file a case against her inaction, despite the rape her but ‘Lady woman attempting Dabang’ Sahana suicide twice – finally made her more recovered her the same night. She forced determined to fight against such people. the boy and his parents to marry the girl She applied for a gun license. But she the very next day. They both are living was denied, as she refused to grease the happily now. With gun in her hands, she palms of avaricious babus. Then came the regularly holds a panchayat at her Mayawati government and she applied residence to solve any crime cases. “We all again. “I thank Mayawatiji for giving me are her eyes and ears. We tip her off the license and I bought a gun to bring whenever any such case comes to notice justice to these hapless girls and women,” and Sahana Aunty solves the case within she says proudly, displaying the gun. an hour,” says Seema, a student. But there are many who disapprove of GUNNING FOR JUSTICE Sahana’s style of ‘dabangai’. “There are Once the gun was in her hands, the ‘Lady police, courts and village panchayats to with the gun’ never looked back. So far, tackle bad elements. Her ways take us she has settled hundreds of cases of back to old barbaric rules,” reacts a former physical atrocities against married women, gram pradhan not wishing to be quoted. dowry cases and taught lessons with the Even senior police and district officials, butt of the gun to roadside Romeos, which criticise her gun-toting valour. “This is included a few men in khakhi and wards against the law of the land, threatening and relatives of some mighty politicians. anyone at gun point,” complains a senior The first thing she used to do was to go police officer. But due to support from to the dowry victim’s house and point the villagers, police never dares to register any barrel of the gun towards the head of the case. Her instant justice are now lore in husband and in-laws. Recounting one neighbouring villages too, where crime such incident she says with satisfaction: against women has dropped drastically in “The woman is happily married now, with the last few years. three children, and neither her husband The National Crime Records Bureau nor his relatives ever made any further says crime against women in UP has gone demand for dowry.” But then, the gun is up by 34 per cent in the last four years. not her only weapon. She exposes, publicly From the bizarre Badayun rape case till humiliates and parades guilty men after date, there is no downward trend in the blackening faces of those who dare to Akhilesh regime, despite the young techsubject girls and women to any kind of savvy Chief Minister launching the 1090 harassment. women’s helpline. A few influential boys were eve-teasing a In a state where registration of an FIR is girl from her village for the past two years. still a herculean task and most of the times The girl was too shocked to lodge a victims do not come forward to tell their complaint or share with her parents. Once tales of victimisation, Sahana Begam has Sahana Begam came to know of this, she set an example. If a woman has the resolve took out the gun and rounded up four to fight against injustices then things can boys, blackened their faces and paraded be set right, even if they have to take up them through the entire village. “Since arms to change the feudal system and then, none of them dare wink at the girls fight the prevailing gender bias.
CHANDIGARH DEHRADUN
THE UGLY INDIAN CITIES
MEERUT
NEW DELHI JAIPUR
KANPUR BHOPAL
AHMEDABAD
JAMSHEDPUR
SURAT
KOLKATA
RAIPUR NAGPUR
PUNE
MUMBAI
BANGALORE MYSORE
CHENNAI COIMBATORE
KOCHI
MADURAI
Numerous groups have cropped up across several Indian cities, replicating the work and model of The Ugly Indian (TUI). This has been an organic growth, driven by social media. The photos and the stories posted by TUI in their Facebook page motivated many individuals to clone the idea in their respective areas