Blank Noise Kolkata

TALK TO ME # 3


Action Hero Kunal Kiran w Action Hero Vikas Jaiswal
Park Street


Action Hero Shabaz w Action Hero Sangeeta
Park Street

Action Hero Leena Kejriwal w Action Hero Sandeep
Munshiganj


Action Hero Uma and Action Hero Manoj Singh
Munshiganj



Action Hero Piu Di w Action Hero Jasmeen Patheja
Location: Munshiganj

Action Hero Manoj Singh w Action Hero Uma Dasgupta
Location Munshiganj


Action Hero Manoj Singh w Action Hero Uma Dasgupta
Location: Munshiganj

Action Hero Anuja w Action Hero Shabnam
Location Munshiganj





Dear Stranger,

Talk To Me.
We haven't had a chance to get to know each other. 
Let's have tea, a samosa and talk over the next hour.
We may not remain strangers after this.
We could talk about anything; our dreams, hope, fears.
Our conversation will not be recorded but we will be photographed. 
You can keep your identity confidential if you prefer to.
We would of course like to have your name and details for our record, however we will respect 
your decision to share or not share your details.
We are Action Heroes; citizens committed to building safe cities.
Yours truly,
Action Hero

Two strangers were brought together to have an hour long conversation about anything except sexual violence. The strangers, now Action Heroes did not decide or plan the nature of the conversation, nor could anyone chose who would sit in front of them.

*This blog post will be edited, revised and updated in the next few hours
City: Kolkata
Date: 12/1/ 2013
Location 1.  Munshiganj  : 4 pm- 6 pm 
Location 2 . Park Street :   6 30- 8 30 pm

In association with Apne Aap, Mudar Pathreya, Eina Ahluwalia

We fixed upon the 2 locations for the following reasons.
Location 1 was Munshiganj, is a red light area where the Apne Aap office is located.
This was our first intervention in a red light area and co created by individuals/ action heroes from the community itself.

Location 2 was Park Street. Chosen for being neutral and familiar to the middle class english speaking Calcuttan. It was our first 'Talk To Me' in Calcutta/ Kolkata ; most certainly a starting point to iterate from.

Participating Kolkata Action Heroes include:
Of team Apne Aap-  Anuja Bhojnagarwala , Sudipta Dasgupta, Sahana Dasgupta, SK Fazul, Uma Das, Rachna, Anwari, Jhaji,  Swapnil Mukherjee, Hindol Dutta, Aruna Singh.

Mohua Das ( Telegraph reporter)
Prachi Saraogi
Sangeeta
Shabaz
Philip
Kunal Kiran
Shabnam
Piu Di
Jasmeen Patheja
Sandeep
Leena Kejriwal
Manoj Singh
Mudar Pathreya
Ayesha Begum
Vikas Jaiswal

This is the third Talk To Me event.
Talk To Me, 1 with Srishti School of Art Design and Technology
Talk To Me 2 with JNU
More about Talk To Me here

photographer- Jasmeen Patheja
Talk To Me # 3 , in Kolkata on January 12th was funded by Apne Aap.





Get involved- Blank Noise Opinion Poll in your city!





Location: Namita Sharma's Tea Stall. Gariahat. Kolkata.

Namita Sharma's tea stall is by the auto stand in Gariahat market, Kolkata. Every evening, eva long que lines up by her tea stall awaiting their auto rickshaw ride back home. During this stretch of time some people drink tea , smoke a ciggarete, snack a bit.

Namita and her colleagues welcomed Blank Noise as an idea. Her tea stall hosts the Blank Noise opinion poll which asks a simple but infinitely complex question-

WHAT IS EVE TEASING? LOOKING? STARING? STARING AT BREASTS? TALKING TO BREASTS? ADJUSTING REAR VIEW MIRROR? PASSING COMMENTS? CALLING NAMES? RATING? WHISTLING? SINGING? MAKING KISSING SOUND? UNSOLICITED CONVERSATION? WINKING? BLOWING KISSES? UNSOLICITED PHOTOGRAPHY? TICKLING? TOUCHING 'ACCIDENTALLY'? GROPING? TOUCHING/NUDGING IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT?/ RUBBING? FINGERING?SPITTING ON? STALKING? VEHICLES( CARS. BIKES. CYCLES) FOLLOWING.
VEHICLES( CARS. BIKES. CYCLES) HONKING. VEHICLES( CARS. BIKES. CYCLES)PURPOSELY DASHING? GESTURES/ACTIONS/ MASTURBATION? FLASHING? OTHERS??

There have been innumerable debates on the blog in the past over what exactly constitutes 'street sexual violence'- Can it be in the verb of 'looking' or in the adverb of 'lecherously looking'. there are questions about what constitutes a lecherous look- and the ones who experience it will argue saying ' it's obvious. we just know!'

This is precisely the kind of discussion we want to further on the streets itself. More than for facts figures and statistics we attempt to use the form of an opinion poll to start discussions. The opinion poll also becomes a 'safe' way for people to testify and admit what they have seen or experienced.

The opinion poll is bilingual- for Kolkata it is in Bangla/ Bengali and English. We are getting them made in English with Urdu/ Hindi/ Kannada/ Telegu/ Tamil/ If you would like to volunteer with translations do email us asap! always at blurtblanknoise@gmail.com

By asking someone from your neighbourhood /locality to host the Blank Noise Eve Teasing Opinion Poll you are getting them involved in the process of taking agency, and also being an agent yourself. The opinion poll could also be in your college/ office/ apartment block/ market/ anywhere- email us- let's discuss your ideas

You will need to provide your local Blank Noise agent with 2 ink pads( red and blue) for people to put their thumb print.

In the next 2 weeks individuals/ Blank Noise members from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Lucknow, Kolkata will receive the opinion poll charts. If you belong to any of these cities and would like get started - email us right away!

If your city is not mentioned and you would like start this process in your city, write in and we could have an entire bunch sent in to you. You could also be the opinion poll distributor for your city or town.

You will also receive an email with detailed instructions on how to introduce Blank Noise/ the issue of 'eve teasing' and how this process can be documented.

Coming up is an interview with Namita Sharma on her experience of hosting the opinion poll. The interview will be conducted by members of the Blank Noise Kolkata team.

We look forward to your emails! blurtblanknoise@gmail.com

Blank Noise Agents :
people who are participating in Opinion Poll project to further discussion about 'eve teasing'.

  1. Barkha Madhok- New Delhi- Will install the poster in her office.
  2. Ashish Asgekar- Goa-will translate the opinion poll to marathi
  3. Nabila Zaidi- Lucknow- will translate the opinion poll and distribute opinion poll sheets in Lucknow. She is also installing the poster at Avadh Girl's College.
  4. Sharath V- Bangalore- has translated the text to kannada. The text has been further edited by Blank Noise bangalore.
  5. Girish Pandit- edited Kannada text.
  6. Meghna C edited the kannada text.
  7. Soumya C. Shekhar edited the kannada text.
  8. Nisha Chandwani - Mumbai added the word ' pinching' to the opinion poll list.
  9. Siddarth Mukund Srivastava- New Delhi- is translating the opinion poll to Hindi.
  10. Poorva Dutt - New Delhi is also translating the opinion poll text to Hindi




WANTED: ACTION HEROES IN KOLKATA! NOV 16!

Are you ready to be a Blank Noise Action Hero?

This Friday Nov 16 at no later than 6 pm join in as we- Blank Noise Kolkata intervene in Gariahat market. The Gariahat hawkers and vendors have voiced support towards Blank Noise and will be participating in the project over the next one week!

The action itself will be simple. All we require from our Action Heroes this time is for them to be themselves! We promise the event wont be acrobatic and will conclude at 7 20 pm.

Bring along your friends/ family / neighbour/ (anyone interested) This goes without saying- men / boys/ males/ are already a part of Blank Noise and are much needed at all Blank Noise meetings and events.

You are required to bring a handwritten testimonial of your experience on the street in the form of a letter.

Here's how:

dear stranger
.............................
............................
...............................
..........................

you could end it with the following statement- so are you a victim/ perpetrator/ spectator to eve teasing/ street sexual harassment?

sincerely

your name


The letter could be in bangla/ hindi or english. If you like you could photocopy this letter and give it to more strangers than one.

Do you own something that you love to wear but are scared of wearing on the streets, for fear of attracting the 'wrong kind of attention'?

Life-changing decisions are made everyday. The most crucial ones take place before one's wardrobe. Blank Noise asks you to challenge your notion of 'asking for it' by coming dressed in that one garment you've always wished to wear but haven't, because of your fear of the reactions it might provoke within your fellow-pedestrians.

Be an Action Hero. Be fearless. Feel carefree.

Believe -- " I did not ask for it".

To confirm please email us at blurtblanknoise@gmail.com subject titled Blank Noise Action Hero Kolkata. You can also reach us at 9836361612. Be in the loop with Blank Noise Kolakata by signing up at http://groups.google.com/group/bnpkolkata

Thanks!

Blank Noise Kolkata

Participating Action Heroes:



  1. Sunayana Roy
  2. Dana Roy
  3. Saptarshi Chakraborty
  4. Bimbabati Sen
  5. Sandra
  6. Simran Soni
  7. Sayantani Dasgupta
  8. Priyanka Verma
  9. Soubhik Niyogy
  10. Sharabh Niyogy
  11. Nilanjana Deb
  12. Rimi B.Chatterjee
  13. Madhura
  14. Dibyajyoti
  15. Meghna Mukherjee
  16. Romila Saha
  17. Priyanka Agarwal
  18. Subhayu Mukherjee
  19. Poulami
  20. Dipali Taneja
  21. Nita P
  22. Sahar Romani

  23. you?