Monique

There’s a picture today, about 6 by 3 inches, on the front page of the ‘Hindustan Times’. It features two white women, somewhat scantily clad, and the caption reads ‘Tourists at Janpath on Tuesday’. There’s a smaller picture below it, about 3 by 2, showing the women and two police officers. The caption says ‘ARE YOU DRESSED RIGHT FOR DELHI? Police officers tell them to leave as they are attracting too much attention for the way they are dressed’.

Reminded me of Monique.

Monique was a seventeen year old Black American backpacker from Los Angeles who spent a week with me in July. She was a lovely combination of pretty and sexy. Had a sweet innocence about her, and yet a great body, bone structure and lovely glowing skin.

And of course since it was hot and sweaty, she dressed in her usual tank tops and thin thin skirts. And she would travel by buses cos it was cheap and she found it exciting.

I was really worried and felt responsible for her. So I tried to explain to her that most Indian men saw western women as easy and that she should be careful. It was hard for me cos it made me feel like an old amma and I, as a rule, am against forcing women to dress conservatively. But what could I do? She was so young and pretty.

She said she could take care of herself and knew ‘how to judge people’. Seventeen, never traveled out of California – yeah, right.

Anyhow, my husband was out of town so I gave her his mobile so that she could call me, just in case.

Especially distressing were these white cotton pants she loved. When she stood up they were like normal pants, but when she sat the sides would fall open, they had long slits, right up to the panty line.

Thankfully nothing too bad happened – except that an autowallah tried to touch her.

I’m not sure what the paper is trying to say with those pictures – whether they approve of the police action or are against moral policing. Seems a little strange that it should be on the front page though. Or maybe not.