THE LOOK-ALIKE VIDEO OF GURMEHER KAUR—exposes the dark side of Indian mindset

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

The look-alike video of Gurmeher Kaur has been making the rounds of social media for quite a few days now. I too, got a few copies from some of my whatsapp friends. Correspondingly, I too, sent out a few, here and there. But, before, sending it out, I keenly sat through it a couple of times. Where, I could happily reflect on my jaunty college days, nothing more and nothing less.

    But, as expected, within minutes some of my friends. Upon receiving the video reacted by saying—the girl I’m trying to troll is not the one who is in the video. The social media is only trying to malign Gurmeher Kaur by sending out this video. Which, I definitely don’t deny. But, I have another point of view to highlight—towards, all the fracas or whatsaap jostle, as I would like to call it. That some of my friends tried to create about the whole issue.

    While, most of them, reacted to the video in a more conformist and derogatory manner, with sympathies for Gurmeher. Where, they all tried to tell me. The video is indecent and should not be circulated. But I had a more promethean view point towards the whole issue. Because, I felt in certain ways, it only exposed the primitive mindset of my friends, and that too, in a glaring manner. As, I, would like to ask them? What was so obscene and vulgar about the video that I shouldn’t have circulated? And, about which, you made such a brouhaha. If having a couple of drinks in the plush confines of a car with your close friends is an obscenity, then so be it? Don’t women drink in India? Isn’t that a reality of our country? So where is the vulgarity in it? Come on, let India grow up. Had a boy been drinking under the same circumstances, would you have reacted in the same manner and called the video obscene and vulgar?

    That she was in shorts. So what? Aren’t women entitled to wear shorts in India? Then, she was with some of her male friends. Perhaps, they were her college friends. So, is that a big deal? That she was tipsy and entwining in the car listening to a not so decent love song. So what? Is that a crime? Most certainly not and above all aren’t women supposed to enjoy as men do is the moot question. And by calling the video vulgar aren’t we exhibiting a sexual bias towards them?

    The short point that I’m trying to make is. There wasn’t anything vulgar or even obscene in the video. But, because, of our deep-seated dig and reactions, we made it look like it. For, any college child can enjoy in this manner when surrounded with friends. Whether boy or girl. We all have behaved like that in our college days. And, for a moment, even, if the video was of Gurmeher. I wouldn’t have rated it in anyway vulgar and obscene. To, run her down. But yes, preferably, any man or a girl would have preferred to keep it as a private property.

    Last but not the least the video turned viral only because of the protagonist, who happened to be a girl. So to my friends—you told me not to circulate the video because it was vulgar. But I found no vulgarity in it and that only speaks of your polluted mindset.

    Sadly, I kept waiting for at least one person to tell me. You can circulate the video as there is nothing indecent about it. But I’m still waiting. Perhaps the wait will be much longer than what I had thought. India still has to grow.

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