A Bengaluru man has gone viral on social media for a clip in which he can be seen telling a woman who is minding her own business not to wear shorts and ‘abide by Indian rules’ – this, while he is clad in a shirt and trousers.
“You must follow Indian rules; Please wear proper clothes.”The man is heard telling a 28-year-old techie
The incident took place on Thursday night, 3 October, around 9 pm and the video was uploaded on Friday when it went viral.
According to the caption of the video, the girl and her friend, who were on a bike, were stopped by the person who ‘commanded’ that the girl shouldn't wear the type of clothes that she was wearing.
“….This fellow Indian is proof of the degrading and dangerous state where our society is heading . HE WAS NOT DRUNK. He was a sober, educated, Indian common man who is now keeping a watch of the sanctity of his own “INDIAN CULTURE” that he thinks is wronged by dress code of my lady friend. His nonchalant behaviour was so scary as he kept on asking people nearby pointing at my lady friend in support to give a judgement weather [sic] he was right or wrong as you see in the video. THIS MAN WAS NOT AT ALL CONFUSED. CONVINCED!”Girl’s Facebook Post
According to The Indian Express, the girl threatened to file a police complaint against the man but is now unsure of the kind of support that she will get from the system.
“He kept yelling that I must not wear such clothes as it is against ‘Indian rules’. My boyfriend chose to yell back trying to question his stance on the same, also pointing out that none had a right to enforce another on what to wear. I have not filed a complaint as I feel even the police would have the same mindset.”
This video comes only a few months after a video of a woman from Gurgaon went viral after she slut-shamed a bunch of girls for wearing ‘short clothes’. She said that short clothes ‘invite rape’.
The woman eventually apologised after enormous backlash, but it seems this mentality hasn’t yet receded.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)