That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore...
Just a few things:
A friend of mine lost someone very, very close to her yesterday. *I* was so shocked, I can't even imagine how she must feel. It seemed to be so sudden and pointless - I'm so worried for her, and most of all, heartbroken at the mere thought of the pain she must be going through. We've all been feeling quite low, so we might go out tonight just to make the mood a little less sombre. I can't even write about it without getting severely depressed. I hate that the older I grow, the more painfully conscious I get about our mortality.
I finally heard back from the editor of InfoChange and he seemed to be quite pleased with my piece. I personally thought it was dreadfully boring, but hey, I'm getting paid for it regardless. Anyway, he asked me to send him a short bio-note, and I'm so tempted to use the Salinger quote that goes:
"In the first place, if I owned a magazine I would never publish a column full of contributors' biographical notes. I seldom care to know a writer's birthplace, his children's names, his working schedule and the date of his arrest for smuggling guns (the gallant rogue!) during the Irish rebellion. The writer who tells you these things is also very likely to have his picture taken wearing an open collar shirt - and he's sure to be looking three-quarter profile and tragic. He can also be counted on to refer to his wife as a swell gal or grand person."
Instead I succumbed and sent him this:
"Aurina Chatterji is a recent Sociology graduate from McGill University, Canada, where she was involved with the campus Sexual Assault Centre for two years. She is currently taking a year off school to work at India Centre for Human Rights and Law, Mumbai, in the Campaign Against Sexual Harassment Unit. She hopes to pursue a degree in International Law next year."
I feel ridiculously inadequate; everyone on there is like, the head of Economics Departments and directors of ActionAid India and working with UniFem for 27492 years. It's very humbling, but I have to admit quite solidly exciting. The money is just the icing on the cake.
I didn't go to office today since I had a lot of work Bandra side. First I went to the Police Station to give them a letter of intimation for the protest we're staging on Monday. We were going to ask them for permission, but R and C, wisely advised us against it. They said we'd never get permission, so it was best to just give them notice. I was expecting to be given a hard time since we're essentially protesting the police themselves, but our letter was stamped, no questions asked. I got there at 11; I got home by 11:20. How beautifully ridiculous is that?
Then I went around all the coffeeshops and movie theatres in Bandra and put up signs to mobilise people for the protest. I printed this out and put up in bathroom stalls and bulletin boards:
Dear all,
In view of the horrific rounding up and violence inflicted upon young
couples in Meerut, we wish to stage a demonstration. The aim will be
to reclaim public spaces as our own and to protest moral policing of
our lives and desires.
We invite you to join us at Band Stand on Monday (one week after the
incident), 26th Dec 2005, at 6pm, opposite Barista. The plan is to
gather as couples - same sex and heterosexual. The point is not
LITERALLY to be there with your partner, but rather to collect as a
mixed group of people to reclaim the public space and protest the
'moral police.' We intend to keep it very simple and peaceful and
fun!!!
Please get your friends along, and email this to everyone who may be
interested. We're planning a similar protest in Delhi, so please try
and mobilise groups/people there who maybe be interested.
For more information, contact: 23435700, 23436692
In Solidarity,
ICHRL
We got a really positive response to the Press Release draft, and almost all the big human rights/women's organizations in Bombay asked that their names be added. I was a little nervous, but we finally sent it today, and it should be out in a day or two.
All those reading this from Bombay, 1) Look out for the Press Release! 2) Please please please come to the protest. It's going to be awesome.
A friend of mine lost someone very, very close to her yesterday. *I* was so shocked, I can't even imagine how she must feel. It seemed to be so sudden and pointless - I'm so worried for her, and most of all, heartbroken at the mere thought of the pain she must be going through. We've all been feeling quite low, so we might go out tonight just to make the mood a little less sombre. I can't even write about it without getting severely depressed. I hate that the older I grow, the more painfully conscious I get about our mortality.
I finally heard back from the editor of InfoChange and he seemed to be quite pleased with my piece. I personally thought it was dreadfully boring, but hey, I'm getting paid for it regardless. Anyway, he asked me to send him a short bio-note, and I'm so tempted to use the Salinger quote that goes:
"In the first place, if I owned a magazine I would never publish a column full of contributors' biographical notes. I seldom care to know a writer's birthplace, his children's names, his working schedule and the date of his arrest for smuggling guns (the gallant rogue!) during the Irish rebellion. The writer who tells you these things is also very likely to have his picture taken wearing an open collar shirt - and he's sure to be looking three-quarter profile and tragic. He can also be counted on to refer to his wife as a swell gal or grand person."
Instead I succumbed and sent him this:
"Aurina Chatterji is a recent Sociology graduate from McGill University, Canada, where she was involved with the campus Sexual Assault Centre for two years. She is currently taking a year off school to work at India Centre for Human Rights and Law, Mumbai, in the Campaign Against Sexual Harassment Unit. She hopes to pursue a degree in International Law next year."
I feel ridiculously inadequate; everyone on there is like, the head of Economics Departments and directors of ActionAid India and working with UniFem for 27492 years. It's very humbling, but I have to admit quite solidly exciting. The money is just the icing on the cake.
I didn't go to office today since I had a lot of work Bandra side. First I went to the Police Station to give them a letter of intimation for the protest we're staging on Monday. We were going to ask them for permission, but R and C, wisely advised us against it. They said we'd never get permission, so it was best to just give them notice. I was expecting to be given a hard time since we're essentially protesting the police themselves, but our letter was stamped, no questions asked. I got there at 11; I got home by 11:20. How beautifully ridiculous is that?
Then I went around all the coffeeshops and movie theatres in Bandra and put up signs to mobilise people for the protest. I printed this out and put up in bathroom stalls and bulletin boards:
Dear all,
In view of the horrific rounding up and violence inflicted upon young
couples in Meerut, we wish to stage a demonstration. The aim will be
to reclaim public spaces as our own and to protest moral policing of
our lives and desires.
We invite you to join us at Band Stand on Monday (one week after the
incident), 26th Dec 2005, at 6pm, opposite Barista. The plan is to
gather as couples - same sex and heterosexual. The point is not
LITERALLY to be there with your partner, but rather to collect as a
mixed group of people to reclaim the public space and protest the
'moral police.' We intend to keep it very simple and peaceful and
fun!!!
Please get your friends along, and email this to everyone who may be
interested. We're planning a similar protest in Delhi, so please try
and mobilise groups/people there who maybe be interested.
For more information, contact: 23435700, 23436692
In Solidarity,
ICHRL
We got a really positive response to the Press Release draft, and almost all the big human rights/women's organizations in Bombay asked that their names be added. I was a little nervous, but we finally sent it today, and it should be out in a day or two.
All those reading this from Bombay, 1) Look out for the Press Release! 2) Please please please come to the protest. It's going to be awesome.
posted by Auri @ 8:34 PM
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