In the world of Indian dance, where metaphors abound in the art and oblique references are signs of great artistry, some of the forthright statements and examples contained in this article might startle. But where love, care and concern are indistinguishable from the most ignoble and sordid forms of violence and abuse, that is an evil place. Unfortunately, recent incidents have shown that the world of Indian dance is also one such space. Both inside and outside the ecosystem of dance, we see an activity called grooming happening.
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Thank you for this detailed article. From my observation, I see that it is difficult for a person to bring this up - even just to share with others or find help. "It is happening to someone else; maybe there is consent", one explains to oneself and moves on. There is a lot of fear as the perpetrator is well-connected; has a lot of money; will go to any extent to silence their victim; the woman's name will be tarnished.....etc. The recent demise of a well-known self-acclaimed karate instructor reminded me of the fear surrounding speaking up (he was definitely a groomer and abuser).
ReplyDelete(The self-acclaimed karate instructor is Hussaini from Chennai (he even had the temerity to address himself as Shihan - no one knows who or when the title was bestowed upon him!). He groomed and abused many young women; took advantage of many women; threatened folks of consequences, etc. But I do not see ANY complaint against him, which is sad (I observed all this, but as a college student, I did not have the courage to speak up).
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