Kolkata’s prestigious St Xavier’s University has shocked Kolkata’s liberal masses after news recently went viral that an assistant professor from the university was forced to resign for posting photos in swimsuits on Instagram, and that too before she joined the university. Since then, people on social media have erupted in criticism. The social media platform Facebook has been buzzing with the hashtag ‘Take That Xaviers’ (#takethatxaviers) for the past two days.
Netizens clearly explain that no one else has the right to their own body and clothing. Kolkata’s who’s who are also on the list, such as mental health activist Ratnaboli Ray, psychologist Payoshni Mitra, former president and former SFI leader Anisha Pal, actor Bidipta Chakraborty and others.
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Ratnaboli Ray launched a campaign on Facebook on Wednesday. She posted a photo of her wearing a swimsuit and wrote: “Kanchkola”. She added, according to her opinion: “The teacher’s clothing is a personal choice, students should not worry about that. An institution that does not understand this must expand their periphery.” She also asked other people of the society to raise their voices and post pictures in swimsuits.
Psychologist Payoshni Mitra posted a photo on Facebook of her mother and daughter as they were submerged in a sea. She wrote there: ‘We are three generations in a swimsuit. We also like to post pictures of ourselves on social media. I’ll be posting more photos soon.’ She also expressed gratitude to Ratnaboli Roy, for starting the campaign.
Anisha Pal, former president and once SFI leader, also posted a photo of herself in a bikini, quoting the French poet Hélène Sextus, writing: “Censor the body and you censor breath and speech at the same time. Write yourself. Your body needs to be heard” Below, she added a thank-you note to Ratnabali Roy, who vocalizes the initiative, and Anisha also used the hashtag ‘Take That Xaviers’ (#takethatxaviers) in her post.
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The film fraternity is not lagging behind. Bidipta Chakrobarty, a popular Bangladeshi actress, also posted her photo together with her eldest daughter in a swimsuit. She used the hashtag ‘My Body My Rights’. She expressed her gratitude to Ratnabali Roy and Payoshni Mitra. Another Tollywood actress, Rupsa Guha, is also vocal about the campaign. She also uploaded her swimsuit portrait with the hashtag ‘Take That Xaviers’ (#takethatxaviers). In the 21st century, when women travel to the moon, some face harassment regarding clothing, again proving the inherent patriarchy.
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