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In our day to day life, we encounter multiple casual slangs and phrases which are intended to shame an intended target. It is not healthy for victims mentally. India has for long ignored the direness of psychological disorders and effects and is, unfortunately, still struggling with it. People should be more aware of the psychological damage their words have the potential of doing. The carelessness with which words are used has increased considerably with the reliance on social media. With each comment or post, it is very easy to create a virtual mob which targets a single person as a source of jokes which is another form of shaming. People have never observed the severe impact which it creates on the victim's mind.
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In India, body shaming is very common to both the genders but more so to girls. Maintaining a fair skin color, having voluminous black hair, working for the perfect physique and demands of many other factors often leads to body shaming.
Women everywhere have fought for their rights, but it's still an on-going struggle. Working women and non-working women are both criticized for not providing their child with the ideal motherhood.
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India has strict gender roles and anyone who doesn't fit into them is highly criticized. Girls are supposed to be feminine and not laugh out loud while men are supposed to be masculine and can't wear nail paints.
Usually targeted at women, this shaming consists of critiquing their clothes and dressing sense. It is often categorized as 'too exposing' or 'too inviting' or 'attention seeking behavior'.
It is a pity that psychological disorders are so common and yet people know so little about them. People suffering from down syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and so on are often mocked for their mental state.
Even after the amendment of Article 377 of the constitution, sexual slurs often seep their way into the common language. The terms gay and lesbian are used more as an insult than identity.
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India is a secular country in terms of both religion and caste. But despite living together for so many years, people stick with their own community as pass racist comments and mock others on the basis of their caste.
Whenever an abuse victim comes out to share their story, they immediately blamed for their situation. People who have faced rape, assault, abuse etc. are dissed for seeking attention or neglected by the masses.
We have to remember that what we consider shameful is probably not considered so by people of some other time or some other culture. The 21st Century, in particular, is known for breaking taboos, there was the sexual revolution to normalize sex, and feminists are still struggling to put an end to menstrual cycle shaming, body shaming or slut-shaming and, so on. With power comes responsibility, if one has the power to speak his or her mind they ought to use it judiciously and reasonably so as to not hurt someone's sentiments.
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©To Clap2Ram Media (TabloidXO™)
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