'Ahmedabad Rising' on Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2013 03:13 am | Updated June 13, 2016 05:40 am IST - Ahmedabad:

Ahmedabad, the commercial vortex of Gujarat that has been kidnapped by consumerist politics, has not seen any public movement or voice of dissent for decades; but this Valentine’s Day, it is all set to witness a cultural demonstration where 20,000-odd people will dance to protest against sexual violence in the State.

“Ahmedabad Rising” is part of a global movement called “One Billion Rising” in which 184 countries are participating. Between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Valentine’s Day, the participants will gather at the sports ground of Gujarat Vidyapeeth for an event that includes a “garba.”

“We chose the ‘garba,’ not just because it is the traditional dance of Gujarat, but also because it is one of the only dances where men do not lead,” says eminent danseuse Mallika Sarabhai, who conceived the “Ahmedabad Rising” idea.

“As women, we are not saying that we want to lead; we just don’t want to be led. Dancing on an equal platform will give both men and women the chance to take up a large space together, and let the contagious, freeing spirit of dance guide us towards a moment of solidarity where we can rise together and stop gender discrimination,” asserts Ms. Sarabhai.

“Ahmedabad Rising” has attracted hundreds of youngsters, especially from reputed institutions like the Mudra Institute of Communications and Administration, Indian Institute of Management, Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, National Institute of Design, Nirma University, HL Commerce College, St. Xavier’s College, DPS, NIFT and several others. This is besides scores of participants from different walks of life.

Ms. Sarabhai told The Hindu that “Ahmedabad Rising” was an “important foundation for this long-term initiative to begin the movement to bring together men and women in order to educate and empower them to rise and take a stand to put an end to violence against women… it is time to give this pressing issue the attention it needs to bring our communities together into a whole new consciousness.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.