Announcement

Jasmeen Patheja and Karuna Nundy

Dear World,

Today in the best of news : 

Blank Noise is now a formal registered trust. Our trustees are Jasmeen Patheja artist/ founder of Blank Noise 

and Karuna Nundy, advocate, Supreme Court. 

The Blank Noise board will be joined by more trustees shortly and we will update 

this post.

Yours truly.

Blank Noise

This is the last week of the CSA Awareness Month:

If you would like to add to the discussion or know somebody else who would, please note that entries (personal accounts, resources, feedback etc) can be

a. mailed to csa.awareness.april@gmail.com OR
b. posted as FB notes and linked to the FB page OR
c. posted on your own blog with the badge and "CSAAM April 2011" in the heading and linked to the main blog OR
d. linked or posted on Twitter tagged twitter.com/CSAAwareness OR
e. sent via some/all of the above methods

Some topics are suggested here.

You can also show your support by displaying our logo on your website. Here is the code:

<a href="<a href="http://csaawarenessmonth.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://<wbr>csaawarenessmonth.wordpress.<wbr>com/</a>" target="blank"><img src="<a href="http://csaawarenessmonth.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/csa-logo.jpg" target="_blank">http://csaawarenessmonth.<wbr>files.wordpress.com/2011/03/<wbr>csa-logo.jpg</a>" alt="" /></a>

Please do remember to send in a mail with all necessary links (or just your input) to csa.awareness.april@gmail.com .

(Thanks, Blank Noise, for the support -- from the CSA team.)

Step By Step Guide to Unapologetic Walking:

What?
Step By Step Guide to Unapologetic Walking posters.

about:
http://blog.blanknoise.org/2008/10/step-by-step-guide-to-unapologetic.html


When? Where?
Every 2nd weekend in your city. your street.


How to?
Simple! BUT needs time and a some running around; not that much running around if tasks are delegated.

Appoint Step by Step poster event in team + Action Hero in charge ( eg. Bangalore= Naksha)
Get text translated to the local language of your place . ( eg. Vishaka Vinod + her uncle )
Get someone to write the text on the comp/ or source a printer who would be willing to do so.
Find a local printer/ CHEAP printer.
Raise funds to print. ( here's how you can also support us/ help us meet our expenses. to donate email us)
Get posters printed- appoint one person to deal with the printer/ do the running around.
Choose a specific location for the event/ map the location + interactions.
Make glue ( eg Naksha made smelly but efficient glue with maida, carried it in little packets for everyone to use).
Announce on the city specific google group/ facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124202554296&ref=mf
Make a calendar- share it online with your city Blank Noise googlegroup so that anyone can sign up / mark dates with details such as ' date/ time/ place'
IMPORTANT-you need to give time for planning and making events happen.
Sustain it!

Preferred: if you can buy a BN step by step tee and wear it for the event!

Next one in Bangalore is 2 sundays from now. Location Vasanthnagar.
To confirm write to us at blurtblanknoise at gmail dot com

We will share the Bangalore event report as soon as it's ready. It's on its way!

things to do at home:

mongan iruna nayinte thalayil thenga veenathu pole
malyalam
is like a dog who was waiting for a coconut to fall on its head.
(sent by Aathira)

agar mittha samne hai toh makhi toh zaroor aasi

How would you say it in your language?

"I NEVER ASK FOR IT"

I NEVER ASK FOR IT.

(in Deutsche):
contributed by Ulrike Syha
Ich habe nie darum gebeten.
or
Darum habe ich nie gebeten.
I would prefer the latter.


(in French) :
contributed by Roselyne Titaud and Barret Clemence
je n'ai jamais demandé ça



(in Malyalam) :
contributed by Nandini Raja
njaan aavashyapettilla = I never ask for it.

contributed by Farid Jalal
jyaan teere athinnu choichitilla = I have never asked for it.



(in Oriya) :
contributed by Snigdha Sahoo
mun kebe bi e sabu chaanhi na thili - i never ask for it


(in Gujarati):
contributed by Niyati Patel
hoon kyarey magti nathi - i never ask for it
me kyarey aa magyu nathi - i have never asked for it
mane aa joytu nathi - i dont want this

(in Bangla) :

contributed by Sunayana Roy

Ami to chai ni -- I did not ask for it
Ami kokhunoyi chai na -- I never ask for it
Ami e shob chai na -- I don't want all this

(in Marathi):

contributed by Poonam Vaidya
मी कद्धी नाही हेचा साथी विचारल : mi kadi nahi hecha saathi vicharal= I never ask for it

(in Tamil) :

contributed by Miruna Varadarajan
naan varavazhaipadu alla = i do not invite
naanketpadu alla = i do not ask for it

contributed by R. Jai Krishna

naan ketkamataen = I never ask for it

(in Assamese) :
contributed by Arundhati Banerjee
"Moi ketiao chowa nai"......I never asked for it

(in Punjabi) :
contributed by Jasso Rani
mein maaf karna. eh kade meri galti nahin si= excuse me but it wasn't my fault.
mein kadey mangya nayi = i never ask for it

mein bilkul pasand nahi= i absolutely dislike it
akhir gur da ki kasoor= but why blame sugar? ( in reference to jithe gur uthe makhi* check image)
istey meri ki galti= why are you blaming me?


contributed by Gujan Chugh
Main eh taanh nahin si mangya= I had not asked for it

How was it implied in your language?

"She 'asked for it'?"

could be proverbs, statement, sayings from everyday conversations

"She 'asked for it":

1. Aap theek ho toh sab theek hai. (hindi) = if you are okay, then everything is okay.

2. ladki agar santo key beech par jayegi to santo toh bharka gain na? (hindi)= a girl can provoke the saints too.

3. agar mittha samne hai toh makhi toh zaroor aasi ( punjabi) = agar meethu sammey paduy che to makhi chokase avse( gujarati) =
if there's something sweet , then it is obvious that the flies will be there too.
gujurati version sent by Darshana Panchal

4. pennorumbettaal brahmanum (malayalam) = if a women wishes so, even Brahma cannote escape her advances.
sent by Suman

5. ila chennu mullil veenaalum mullu vannu ilayil veenalum kedu ilakkaanu =this is actually kind of cautionary stuff for all mallu girls of all generations. if the leaf falls on the thorns or the thorn falls on a leaf, whatever may be, it is the leaf that gets torn off.

(well actually a warning kind a.hey girl, do not go and do things, and then later on complain about it. whether you do it or they do, you are the one to suffer. hence, make no room for any such incidents only)
sent by Suman


6. ladki ki izzat kaanch ke jaisi hai. joh toot jata hai judta nahin hai = a girls modesty/respectablity is like glass. once broken it cannot be fixed.
sent by Nita Patheja

7. "Dangling a carrot in front of a donkey".
sent by Annie Zaidi

8. Juttu vippokoni gattiga navvey aada daani, yennadu nammoddhu!

old telugu saying = never trust a woman who laughs loudly with her hair open

sent by the much harassed Vijay Sai

9. streeche paul vakde padle ki samajacha naash suru hoto (marathi)= the moment a woman steps out of line (breaks social mores), the social decay begins.
sent by Pranav Joshi

10. andaman ki baarish aur aurat ka koi bharosa nahin hai= they say this in the andamans if they feel betrayed by women= the rains in andaman are unpredictable just like women.
sent by Rani Kamal

11. ek miyan mein doh talwar= 2 women in a house will always create havoc.
sent by Rani Kamal

12. jithe doh auratan hon uthe bhande kharakde hi hain= 2 women in a house will always create noise/ fight/ make trouble
sent by Indri

13. "Beware of the 3 Ws in life- women wine and wealth"
sent by Rani Kamal

14. aurtan ni gallan te nahin aana chahida. punjabi. statement = dont get into what women say.
sent by Rani Kamal

15. "Ela estava mesmo a pedi-las" Portuguese for "She was really asking for it", commonly used when, say, a rape is associated to the clothes the girl / woman was wearing at the time of the assault.

sent by Joao Lemos

16. "woh muchh hi kya jise fera nahi jaata; woh ladki hi kya jise chheda nahi jaata."hindi= ('what is a moustache that can't be curled up, what is a girl who is not teased.')

sent by Mohnish

17. "Shei orokom meye" is the sense of nudge, nudge, wink, wink, you know, she's that kind of girl. sent by Sunayana Roy

18. "Jithe Gur uthe makhi"= where there is gur/ jaggery- there will be flies.

19. "mongan iruna nayinte thalayil thenga veenathu pole"

this is a colloquial saying in Malayalam which literally means this(situation) is like a dog who was waiting for a coconut to fall on its head.
sent by Aathira

REPORTING TO REMEMBER

Starting with the most recent Mangalore pub attack we would like to build a list of incidents involving attacks on/threats to women under the pretext of culture, tradition and religion.

1-political parties/ religious groups/ individuals

2-nature of attack- who they attacked. why they attacked. you could also send articles/links explaining that.

3-when.date

4-location.region.

You can add to this list by adding in the comments section below or by emailing us at blurtblanknoise at gmail dot com

or if you are on facebook you could add it here:
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1002230751699&mbox_pos=0#/event.php?eid=103986081520

Nandini report:

December 28, 2008:

Bajrang Dal activists attack a bus ferrying
students on a study tour to Mysore, saying girls and boys from
different religions can't travel togetherlinks: http://www.worldproutassembly.org/archives/2009/02/karnatakas_comm.html
Mohnish Moorjani reports:
Jan 29, 2009
Ram Sene
'Amnesia' Pub. Mangalore


Feb 14, 2006Shiv Sena
Nallasopara, BombayA mob of 60 Shiv Sainiks, armed with hockey sticks and rods, descended on a private party at Nallasopara on Tuesday and beat up women and children, ripped off their clothes, stole their jewellery and mobile phones and sent a few of the men to hospital.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1416850.cms
http://blogofindia.blogspot.com/2006/02/shiv-sena-disowned-nallasopara-vandals.html
http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=63063
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1420117,prtpage-1.cms


Anivarn Chatterjee reports:

1. Bajrang Dal and the World Hindu Council

2. Human rights activists Angana Chatterji and other female members of the Indian People's Tribunal on the Environment and Human Rights threatened with rape and disrobing, as they take deposition of stories about attacks on minorities. Chatterji later threatened with rape, murder, dismemberment for speaking up.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/06/23/MNG7ADDAE11.DTL
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2005/07/12/does-rss-have-any-moral-standards
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1156238.cms
http://www.thehindu.com/2005/06/15/stories/2005061506381200.htm

3. June 14, 2005

4. Bhubaneswar, Orissa




Anubhav Pradhan reports:

14th Feb,2006
http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/15/stories/2006021523280300.htm
The Shiv Sena staged a protest against Valentine's Day in Kamla Nagar, Delhi "dubbing the Valentine's Day as a marketing gimmick".
The state unit of the National Panthers Party had come out against the Sena, and representatives of the same went around armed with chilly powder. There was sign of trouble in Connaught Place as activists of the two groups came face to face outside Wimpy's but timelpy police intervention prevented any untoward incident.
11th August, 2008
http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/11/stories/2008081161540300.htm
Mr. Ram Dev Yadav killed his wife Geeta and her alleged lover neighbour Jitendra in the Dabri area of Delhi. The crime, committed on 29th July, came to light when the couple's 5yr old son Vicky narrated the gruesome incident during trauma counselling.
nandini raja reports:
October 30, 2008: Bajrang Dal activists attack two
undertrials in Mangalore district sub jail; sixth such attack after
its chief Mahendra Kumar's arrest on September 20.

December 12, 2008: Aggressive posturing at Baba Budangiri by parivar
leaders and Hindu pontiffs

December 27, 2008: Hoysala Sene attacks Fuga bar in Bangalore, alleges
illegal activities

December 28, 2008: Bajrang Dal activists attack a bus ferrying
students on a study tour to Mysore, saying girls and boys from
different religions can't travel together




January 6, 2009: B.V. Seetharam, editor of Mangalore-based newspaper
Karavali Ale, who followed a strong anti-parivar editorial line,
handcuffed and arrested in alleged extortion case. Prior to his
arrest, parivar elements vandalise paper's office.

January 7, 2009: Laddoos distributed in some schools across the state
on Vaikunta Ekadashi. Congress demands biriyani should be distributed
on Ramzan.

January 19, 2009: An arrested dacoit reportedly confesses links with
radical Hindu groups and admits to carrying out the Hubli district
court bombing before the May assembly elections

January 25, 2009: Sri Rama Sene activists attack pub in Mangalore and
molest and beat up women

January 25, 2009: Bajrang Dal activists attack a private party in Mangalore

October 2009- Feb 2010- gangs of men from various right wing Hindu groups such as Sri Ram Sene, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Rashtra Sena, Hindu Jagaran Vedike in Mangalore , Karnataka, assault Hindu women dating Muslim men. They also attack Muslim men and accuse them of waging a 'love jihad'; that is, according to them, a strategic love plan to convert the hindu girl to islam.

The Hindu reports
recommended report- Tinku Ray for the BBC
bbc report also shared here

Moments of a Long Pause

Moments of a Long Pause is a 2 channel video installation based on interviews with men and women on the streets of 5 cities in India (Delhi, Agra, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Calcutta) . The video brings men and women in a conversation. The conversation is built on the personal street experience of fear, sexual harassment, sexual violence, flirting, wooing, 'teasing'.

The 2 channel video attempts to understand how both men and women approach eve teasing and street sexual violence in their daily lives.

Moments of a Long Pause has been Comissioned by Bronx Museum of Arts ( Street Art, Street Life 2008)

also supported by: Akademie Schloss Solitude.

Moments of a Long Pause can be seen from today Sept 14 until Jan 25 (2008)at the Bronx Museum of Arts, Bronx. NY with the show Street Art, Street Life

confirm on facebook:
http://www.new.facebook.com/editevent.php?picture&eid=24312104661&new&m=1#/event.php?eid=24312104661

Thanking ALL members of the Blank Noise team, Action Heroes, bloggers, supporters who ever raised a question on this subject- each comment either in support or against has given us insight into the issue.

THANK YOU!

We thank Dana Roy, Trippy Scarlet, Hemangini Gupta, Annie Zaidi, Smriti Chanchani, Saurabh, Ravindranath Gutta, Shabnam Virmani, Anjora Naronha, Umang Bhattacharya, Indri, Nita, Narinder, Rupam, Ivan Medenica, Papoo Singh, Chandan +Nupur Mathur( for shooting), Timo Boeker( edit assistance) + many many many Action Heroes

MOMENTS OF A LONG PAUSE has been screened / installed at the following places

Bronx Museum of Art - commissioned for the show Street Art Street Life. 2008

Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver (2010) installed until Jan 25. 2011

3331 Arts Chiyoda via Dislocate , Tokyo(2010)

GSU Atlanta (2010)

MGallery BMB, Mumbai (2010)

Transportraits- Delhi (2010)

Akademie Schloss Solitude (2008)

To buy a copy of the video for screening purposes only please email us at blurtblanknoise AT gmail.com

We will be announcing future screenings on this page.

2 out of 1000

Over the years we have figured that there are over 1000 ways in which you could build Blank Noise. For now, we propose 2.

Every Sunday, 2 projects will be shared at Blank Noise.

Blank Noise This Place and Blank Noise Action Heroes.

Both spaces are slowly building up with your participation. Thank you!

For those of you who are new to this:

Blank Noise This Place: We ask you to go to the place where you experienced street sexaul harassment'- photograph it and send it to us. Along with the photo send in an account of what exactly occurred and where.

We will upload all photographs at

 http://flickr.com/photos/blanknoisethisplace/

All photos will be tagged on a world map. 

Let's Blank Noise This Place!

Blank Noise Action Heroes: is a separate blog, an offshoot of Blank Noise. This place collects and builds stories of resistance. We ask you to share your strategy. How did you deal with street harassment? How did you fight or respond to it?

All Action Hero testimonials sent in by you will be uploaded at

http://blanknoiseactionheroes.blogspot.com

Who takes responsibility for uploads etc?

Every city has a 2 week rotating set of 'lead volunteers' who make this happen. They send emails, put in that 'extra' bit to ensure participation. Last few weeks have had Dana Roy , Sunayana Roy from Kolkata, Suparna Kudesia from Delhi, Amrutha Bhushan from Bangalore, Nabila Zaidi from Lucknow. We encourage Blank Noise members from each city to sign up as lead volunteers towards both online events. Hope to hear from you soon!

SEND ONE GARMENT YOU WORE WHEN YOU WERE "EVE TEASED"

Do you really think you 'asked for it' when you experienced street sexual harassment?
How often have you found yourself blaming the pair of jeans, the salwar kameez, the skirt, the t shirt? Do you really think it is your fault when you are violated? Do you really think you deserve to be humiliated? Do you really think that it is only certain kind of clothes that result in women experiencing street sexual harassment?

We say NO.
We say there is no such thing as 'asking for it' and we need you to prove that for us/ yourself.

How?
Send in 1 garment you wore when you experienced 'eve teasing'. Your garment is your truth, your witness, your evidence, your memory. You can volunteer to collect clothes volunteers from friends, family, peers, associated and sent them in.

You can make this happen. It's simple- ask yourself and others around you to remember that one garment you wore when you were made to feel that you 'asked for it'.

Collect one, two or twenty, be the Blank Noise Action Hero from your city. town. locality.

What next?
We propose to install these clothes on the streets of your city and collectively challenge the notion that women ask to be sexually violated.

Suren Vikash participated in this event by bringing back a bag filled with clothes- belonging to his sister, cousins, and relatives. This is to say that men can participate in actualizing this as well!

• There will be a contact person per city- that could be you. want to volunteer?
• If you wish to collect clothes on behalf of Blank Noise from where you are based, email us. We would be thrilled to have you taking on this responsibility!
• The mailing address will be shared on email and will be city specific.
• Please attach a note about what exactly took place.
• Please attach the age of the person who experienced it.
• Your identity will not be revealed if you do not want it to.
• You could also photograph the garment and send it to us. We will share it on the blog.
• If you have any other ideas on how you can participate- actualizing the event, fund raising, seeking permissions etc, write in now!
• If you have already discarded that one garment to this project- we will be adding your name to this list below. If you have not been mentioned, please email us and we will add you right away!
• some of you may not have the garment with you- for instance if the incident took place in childhood and it was a school uniform- in that case do desrcribe the garment to us, or send us something close to it.
  

The idea- When women experience sexual violence/ harassment/ or are 'teased' they are made to feel guilty for experiencing it. We are taught to blame ourselves for being 'dressed provocatively', for being in the wrong location, at the wrong time. Public perception and blame also assumes that a certain female stereotype gets assaulted for the 'right reasons'. The truth is that we have been receiving all kinds of clothes- school uniforms, saris, short skirts, asexual-shirts, jeans, salwar kameez. No matter what you wear, a no means NO. There is no such thing as 'asking for it'

Blank Noise challenges notions of time, place , dress and person. With I never asked for it- we challenge the notion that women actually 'ask to be sexually assaulted'

We take a stand and urge you to do the same. I never asked for it. Yes we want 1000!

reference:
Our last street action on international women's day, March 8 asked Blank Noise Action Heroes from across the country to come wearing the garment they wore when sexually assaulted.
also see:
Cheap girls and this.

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. 
    
24. you?
25.