This refers to the article “Can't women have their space?”(Open Page, Aug. 29). A salwar kameez with a dupatta is, no doubt, a decent attire. Something must have been wrong with the boy who passed vulgar comments at the author.
Having said that, I must add it is all very well to say “don't judge a woman by her appearance. Judge her for what she is.” But it is the dress of a woman that creates the first impression about her. Women, too, like to appear presentable to men. It is not fair to always blame men alone for the manner in which they view women.
Seshagiri Row Karry,
Hyderabad
Krithiga Balasubramanian, it appears, has expressed her views in a fit of anger. The man who passed vulgar comments at her at 8 pm, for all we know, might have been drunk. The best thing under such circumstances is to walk away. A girl playing in water wearing a three-fourths pant is eminently avoidable in the Indian scenario.
Men do consider women part of society. They know that a woman is very important in moulding a society. We are blessed with a unique culture and asking for “space” is not justifiable.
Jalaja Radhakrishnan,
Salem
I agree men should be more broad-minded. At the same time, women need to have a basic sense of dress code. Although a woman cannot be judged by her appearance, it is the appearance that creates the first impression — even before she talks to anyone. True, the Constitution does guarantee women the freedom to choose. It is for them to make the best use of it.
B. Thiagarajan,
Coimbatore
Passing remarks on seeing a woman is a spontaneous act. In fact, nowadays looking smart and stylish has become the order of the day. This is because of the impact of reality shows, fashion shows, television serials and films. The photograph accompanying the article “Pray, is this woman power at all?” on the same page is a case in point. Certainly, women can find their space if they oppose and stop being inspired by films and TV serials.
K.N. Subbarao,
Bangalore
Ria Bera's article was right in asking whether beauty is essential to express woman power. Beauty pageants provide a great platform for women aspirants in the fashion industry. But why bring woman power into this? Every contestant speaks words of wisdom and names great women as her role model to impress the judges. How many of these contestants have truly followed Mother Teresa's path of serving the poor and the destitute? How many even give a part of their earnings to help the homeless and the sick?
Woman power is not about making tall speeches on how much we can do to empower women. It is about the small acts and gestures that can prove to the world that women are powerful emotionally, intellectually and physically.
Linta Mathew,
Adoor
