The article “The Boxer on the flight” by Amitava Kumar (Aug. 11) invoked a sense of déjà vu in me. The average Indian male rarely comes into contact with the western culture. Whatever opinion he has about the westerners is shaped by Hollywood movies and foreign television channels. Sadly, the portrayals are rather inaccurate. Thus Indian men tend to think of women from the West as easy going, flirtatious or downright promiscuous.
When I was a graduate student at Chicago, a few of my American friends wanted to visit India on a holiday. I offered to accompany them on their tour. I was greatly embarrassed when women in our group were leered and whistled at wherever we went. I was mortified when a CISF sergeant made a pass at one of my friends in the New Delhi airport.
S. Raghavan,
Chennai
