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A lady gave a befitting reply to end men’s discomfort about female coaches in metro

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Ladies coaches in Delhi Metro and the envy they generate in the male passengers is not a new story. However, what’s new are the kind of answer’s women are giving to such questioning envy. One such unforgiving response was given by internet’s “Badass Aunty”. This conversation shared by Dyuti Sudipta on her Facebook has gone viral ever since it’s been posted. She posted a conversation between two complaining men and one woman who put an end to their prejudiced dilemmas

Dyuti explains,

” Overheard in Metro.

Guy 1: Dekh ladies coach poora khali hai. Idhar side itna bhara hua  hai, par fir bhi hume wahan jaake baithna allowed nahin hai. Khali padi hui hain seatein.

Guy 2: Haan yaar. Dekh, poora coach de rakha hai unko, wo bharti hain nahin, upar se humare coach mein bhi do do seatein de rakhi hain, hum baith gaye to utha diye jaate hain, bhale poora unka coach khali pada ho. Wo to bhar lein pehle!

Badass Aunty: Aap log paida hi nahin hone de rahe ho na beta, aur naseeb se paida ho bhi rahi hain to unko padhne likhne, bahar nikalne se rok rahe ho jee jaan lagake.  Ye sab kaam band kar do, kokh mein maar dena, doodh mein dubo dena, rok tok karna, fir dekho na beta, metro ki seatein kya, office ki kursiyan, khel ka maidan sab kuch bhar dengi ye, par usi cheez se to darr rahe ho aap, hai na? Hai na beta?”

 The conversation involves three people travelling in a metro. Two of the male passengers compare women’s coach which was not crowded with their jam packed one . They complain about this and express their discomfort about having to leave seats meant for women in general compartments, especially when ‘they’ (women) have their own. It is at this point when all our feminist dreams come to life and the Badass Aunty highlights effortlessly the oppression women face through female infanticide, confinement of women and the like.

Interesting comments have also been posted on this Facebook status. In one such insightful comments, Dyuti Sudipta who had been an integral part of Women’s Development Cell of Miranda House, justifies having different compartments and reserved seats for women. She says, “Well what happens is if we see women sitting in those two seats, or have the idea of the presence of two women in a coach otherwise filled with men, women have the courage to enter the general compartment, that in turn obviously contributes to the increased safety of public sphere. We can’t forever isolate women in an all female setting and pretend we are achieving safety in public space. However, we will have to induce the participation of the minority in domains dominated by majority by making it legitimate according to the rules and when the situation gets better and the participation is no longer dependent on the rule, the rule maybe abolished. We haven’t yet reached that point where not having the rule makes sense”

The conversation not only speaks for women, but inspires them too. In a world where patriarchy artfully propagates girl on girl hate, women need this voice. Young female passengers often complain about the curious eyes of ‘aunties’ in the female compartments which make them uncomfortable. In this context, Dyuti is quite right when she says, ” Some aunties are bad; some are bad-ass.”

Can we have more bad-ass aunties please?

Featured illustration credits: Rajat Mahanti/AbsoluteDesi

Tooba Towfiq

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[email protected] ; A workaholic, she speaks and works towards an honest world with no masks. She can theorize a peanut butter in the most startling of ways. Rain is her stimulant for all creative beats. Passionate like Bertha Mason, work OCD is synonymous to her. Loving all, thinking, anchoring, writing and eating are her favorite pass times. You can find her hanging out alone at Basketball Courts, Metro Stations and Bus Stops.

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