Cricket without boundaries
The future of Indian cricket
Half a cheer for Indian cricket
So some of the cheerleaders are going home, and some of the others are being forced to cover up? If you ask me, that’s a bit of a shame. More importantly, it’s an example of people getting worked up about the wrong things.
A female, feminist friend of mine, living here but born in England, was complaining to me about the cheerleaders, saying they were simply not appropriate in a country like India, and demeaning for women.
I am not sure. As anyone who spends too long watching ESPN will know, cheerleading is a serious business in the United States, a sort of synchronised gymnastics with some pretty impressive routines.
I doubt that many of the girls from the States, or Uzbekistan, felt like they were being exploited when they were invited to India for what promised to be a thoroughly enjoyable few weeks.
That is, until certain, male sections of the crowd, began abusing them.
“It’s been horrendous,” Tabitha, a cheerleader from Uzbekistan, told the Hindustan Times. “Wherever we go we expect people to pass lewd, snide remarks but I’m shocked by the nature and the magnitude of the comments people pass here.”
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The Wall
I am an American woman who is engaged to a wonderful Indian Man. We have talked endlessly about things that concern our upcomming marriage, our family values, how we will raise our children, where we will live, etc. I want nothing more than for him to protect and preserve the culture in which he was raised, but I have a concern about raising our children in India, specifically if we had a daughter. I have been to India several times and there are so many things of value that I love about the culture and the people of India. But, like Charlotte, I have seen the ugly side of the culture and have fell victim to unwelcomed stares, comments, and physical touch. I think the Gov. in India should shift their focus to changing the ugly aspects of their society as well as striving to preserve the things about India that make it a great country. How will they do that? I dont have a solution. My only suggestion would be to try and cultivate a new generation of people that value the contributions that both men and women bring to society. They also need to focus on teaching what is apropriate behavior in both public and private settings. It is a growing problem that will only be able to fly under the radar for a little while longer until its reached a breaking point. My hope is that it will not go unnoticed for that long… for my sake and the sake of the next generation of children. Its also important to mention that as my fiance and I have talked about our culture and what is important to us he always expresses the things about India that he is frustrated about and that he thinks are shortcommings… I also focus on the aspects of India that I love so much. With our combined vision I know that we will bring out the best in our respecitve cultures and not focus on the where both the US and India have fallen short.