Kerala: Woman's attempt to moral police law student in jeans royally backfires

Kochi: Berated by a stranger for not dressing modestly, a young law student in Kerala has shown the path for young women harassed by moral policing in public spaces.

According to reports, Haritha Rekha was at the local eatery near her college when an elderly woman approached her, asking her if she was a ‘Malayali’.

“I did not feel the need to reply to such a question thrown at me by a stranger, and ignored her. However, she must have overheard me talking to my teacher in Malayalam. She started screaming out loudly asking everyone if they felt I was dressed appropriately,” Haritha said.

The woman was persistent despite Haritha’s reluctance to answer her, and created a ruckus, taking to the centre of the restaurant, screaming that her clothes- jeans and a t-shirt- was immodest. She also accused Haritha of maligning Kerala’s culture.

Noting that the woman who was dressed in a Sari was revealing a lot more skin than herself, Haritha said, “I have never experienced such an incident before. Compared to other cities, Ernakulam is a forward thinking city in Kerala. So, this came as a huge surprise. My mother, who is a lawyer, supported me throughout the incident. She (the woman) was wearing a saree, if I go by the same logic, then her clothes were way more revealing than my pair of jeans. It is absurd, how men or women interfere in your way of living.”

Not one to give up easily, Haritha followed the woman to her autorickshaw and redirected it to the local police station. Though Haritha did not charge the woman, she was able to manage an apology, and has also gathered much support online.

But despite the huge number of people who have come out in support of her, Haritha is not happy. “I wonder if I would have received the same support from the public, had I had been wearing something that they too felt was against our culture. Even if I wear a bikini, it should not bother anyone,” she said.