Since I’ve had to intervene thrice in under one hour, it seems like there is nothing more that anyone has to say which is of value or relevance to THIS TOPIC. Time to close it, then.

Achtung: It’s not okay to spam threads, no matter what your intention. If you’re so concerned about something, our email addresses are listed here.

Meta-commentary (comments about comments), comments you wish you could’ve left on now-closed threads and similar HAVE and WILL be deleted.

Please stay on topic. Thank you.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need an entire bottle of something fermented to calm me off the stress-ledge I’m on…eeek.

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I’ve read the ample literature for years, which made my actual experience in Trivandrum all the more shocking and disappointing. We could get into details – virtually no women on the streets after dark, women’s college dorms locked by 7:30 pm while men’s open all night, never being able to have dinner with my unmarried girlfriends whose families demanded they be home by 7:30 but my male friends were of course available, women complaining about sexual harassment at work and having no legal recourse – but I will continue to stand by my own experiences and my perceptions. I also make it clear I lived in TRV only a short time. I take pains to not position myself as an “expert.” Someone who grew up there has far more authority about Trivandrum, Kerala, and India than I do. But I saw what I saw, I experienced what I experienced, and my responsibility as an artist and a human being is to be honest. It’s not to promote other peoples’ ideologies. It’s not to shut up. And it’s not to apologise, over and over again, for being a white American woman.

I’m with you on that!

In fact, I’ve heard the “women are the heads of the household” line so many times to render it meaningless. Many women are the heads of the household because it is not deemed fitting to be anything else. The head-of-the-household position can actually work against them if they decide they don’t want that role anymore and want to do something outside the household. Just because women may be the heads of the household does not mean they enjoy the same freedoms that their men do outside of the household. To assume that is foolishness – just like western people who assume because India has so many Goddess figures, their women must be totally honored and revered in society. One does not equal the other. And most women I know would rather just be treated with basic human respect and have the basic human rights and freedoms as men rather than be put up on some “Devi pedastal”. Devis and Sati/Savitris are not allowed to make mistakes. They must remain pristine and worshippable all the time. Ordinary women just want to be able to make ordinary mistakes and not be shamed for them.

As far as the differences in curfews at the male/female hostels/dormitories in India — it’s up to the residents of those to protest them and bring about change. If they are not protesting one must ask — why? If they are happy with the inequality then there is nothing we can do about it but ask — why?

ANNA, it wasn’t directed at you. It was directed at the interns! That’s why I stated “Great post, ANNA”. Sorry for the mixup!

OMG – That’s too scary to even think about, Akka! Not pretending, but I know what I’d like to give you – a “big, cashmere teddy bear” hug, and an ooma. Yes. Enjoy, relax, breathe deeply, post only when you can, and ignore the silliness, or look above it!

Thank you for the kind compliment you commenced your comment with, but as many of you perceptively figured out when I stated this earlier today, I don’t need more shit or guilt or ____ right now.

I’m getting frustrated with this line of thought; here’s what I was doing when you snapped your fingers– I was AT WORK.

I do not moderate Sepia Mutiny all day.

Do any of YOU get to surf the web all day at your job and ignore your deadlines? If so, awesome for you. I’m not in that lucky position. And until I win powerball and take care of my student loans and rent that way, I can NOT be at this website’s beck and call to ban idiots or write posts faster or respond to tips…ad infinitum. Does logic escape once some of you come to these threads? I work 70+ hour weeks. THIS IS NOT MY FULL-TIME JOB. It’s not the case for any of us.

There are several other bloggers who are part of this space…why is the disappointment at things not getting done aimed at me? Why do THEY get your tolerance and compassion?

I’m not trying to start something here, but this sort of situation is exaclty why I unexpectedly left the Mutiny earlier this year. I contribute what I can afford to, if not slightly more. If I can never do enough, why do at all?

Oh Cmon Mohan, some asinine comment that someone left, and you make it sound as if it’s Anna’s fault that it wasn’t cleaned up! Dude, people only have so much time they can spend on cleaning up. Think about how much effort it takes to constantly monitor all the posts (sometimes even older ones) to take out the trash. Give the mutineers some credit.