Kriti Kharbanda, Neethu Shetty say #MeToo

Me Too — the two words that have been flooding everyone’s timelines over the last couple of days. It all began when Hollywood star Alyssa Milano, in response to the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault accusations, posted on October 15, “If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.” Soon after, this was picked up by women, and men, around the world. While many simply copied and pasted the message, others chose to give details about the sexual assault they have faced. Such was the impact that not only regular folk, even celebrities have been posting messages, using the hashtag #MeToo. This includes actors Swara Bhasker, Kriti Kharbanda, Parvathy, Rima Kallingal and Neethu Shetty. Others, such as comics Radhika Vaz and Sumukhi Suresh, singers Sona Mohapatra and Sowmya Raoh, dancer

Madhuri Upadhya

, artist Shilo Shiv Suleman and blade runner

Shalini Saraswathi

have also uploaded posts with the hashtag. Neethu wrote about the number of incidents when she was sexually assaulted, while Kriti posted, “#metoo sad. But true.” Sumukhi posted, “#MeToo and I beg for it end with me”, and Shilo wrote about the Nirbhaya incident.

MEN CAN BE TOUCHED INAPPROPRIATELY AS WELL
What is interesting is that not only women, but even men have been speaking out about the incidents of sexual assault that they have faced. Music director Sudeep Swaroop and fashion designer Satkrit Krishna highlighted that men are equally susceptible to attacks as women are. While Satkrit’s post read, “So you ladies think only you have been inappropriately touched n felt up by men!? #metoo yea seriously!!” Sudeep posted, “Young boys are not safe too. A child is a child. I was 6. :( #metoo”. Others who posted #MeToo include tango instructor Shrék Deodhar, DJ Vijay Arora and photographer Dev Purbiya.

‘DON’T RELATE TO IT? DON’T RIDICULE IT’
Like most such movements, there are those slamming this as a ‘call for attention’ and making fun of it. Musician Tejas Shankar has a stern message to the trolls: “To everyone speaking against or making fun of the #MeToo movement, NOT COOL AT ALL!!! Stop telling me shit about how this ain’t gonna make a difference please?? It’s made a difference to a lot of people in their own subjective ways, when they have made a choice to express in whatever ways they can to express their truth. You don't relate to it?? You don’t relate to the way the truth is coming out?? You don’t relate to a hashtag?? It’s ok. But don’t make fun of it or ridicule it. Don’t demean a movement just because the majority may relate to it. That’s how they find solace in things. Do things your own way if you wanna prove what you wanna prove. Until then, Don’t be a SOUR ASS aye!!”