Dear Chetan Bhagat, Uorfi Javed's pictures do not distract' the youth as much as uncles giving unnecessary gyaan

Dear Chetan Bhagat, When one gets invited as a speaker to a literary festival, Uorfi Javed is probably the last name one expects to hear - at least not in the context of literature because, well, Uorfi isn’t an author. We wouldn’t really expect your name to be taken at a sports festival, would we? It is one thing to name drop Uorfi but then to use her bold and provocative Instagram posts to demonize the youth of the country is unfair not just to Uorfi but, well, the youth too. Throughout the conversation, you clarify multiple times that you aren’t trying to come across as an ‘uncle jo gyaan deta hai’ (an uncle who sermonizes or lectures young adults). But you did exactly that. Chetan, you claim that the youth of the country, the young men in particular, ‘sit in the blanket and like Uorfi Javed ’s pictures’. You began your ignorant rant by talking about Javed’s recent photoshoot where Javed covers her modesty with two mobile phones. When the crowd cheered after hearing her name, you asked them rather brazenly ‘kyu pata hai tumhe? Course mein aayega?’ (why do you know her [Uorfi]? Will this question be asked in the exam?) Your statements are so problematic that I don’t know where to even begin. First off, let me burst your bubble Chetan - the youth is not getting ‘distracted’ by watching Uorfi Javed’s Instagram videos and Reels. You are repressing healthy expression of sexual desire which comes naturally to teens. Why do Indian uncles like you refuse to see their kids as young men and women with agency who have hormones raging through their body? Why does the idea of your kids being horny disturb you? Chetan - you mentioned that you have two 18-year-old sons. What I am about to say will shock you and leave you wide-eyed but stay with me on this - just like the ‘youth’ you mentioned, your two sons, at some point in their teenage life, must have ‘gone inside the blanket and double-tapped pictures’ which are sexually suggestive. Are you telling me that you have never done the same in your life? I am sure back in your day, data wasn’t cheap but magazines must have come handy (no pun intended). Chetan - masturbation is normal in teenagers and young adults as well. It is also safest sexual expression as there is no risk of STDs or pregnancy. In fact, there are many health benefits of masturbating that you are just a Google search away from finding out. So why demonize young men who spend their time in kambals double tapping pictures? And why on earth would you compare these men with the brave soldiers serving in Kargil? Just because all young men are not serving in Kargil, does that mean they are not responsible citizens of the country? Many of them have jobs and still contribute to the GDP and are in the tax bracket. Going by your logic, we shouldn’t have writers like you writing books at all and send all men to serve at the border the moment they are born. What kind of neanderthal thinking is this? But I have to commend you for one thing - you didn’t slut-shame Uorfi Javed while making your point. Presumably because you didn’t want to face the ire of feminist groups and come across as anti-woke. But I hate to break it to you Chetan - asking the youth to not like Uorfi Javed’s pictures is the most anti-woke thing you could have done. Sex is still a taboo in India and spoken about in hushed tones. We need to normalize talking about sex, sexual desires, pornography and masturbation. On the contrary, you are taking the discourse in the sex-positive movement backwards by two decades. Also, what kind of a question is ‘course mein aayega kya?’ Are you saying kids and young students in particular, should focus only on their syllabus and shut the windows of their brain when anything out-of-syllabus pops up? For us entertainment journalists, Uorfi Javed is very much a part of the syllabus. And let me break it to you that Uorfi generates a lot of online buzz among both male and female users owing to her outlandish outfits. Therefore, to imply that her pictures will be a ‘distraction’ for the youth and they will be ‘kamzor’ is nothing but victim blaming dressed in pretty clothing. In this case, you aren’t directly criticizing Uorfi’s bold outfits but calling out the men who fantasize about her pictures saying they will get ‘distracted’. How is this school of thought any different from politicians and some school authorities asking women to ‘dress modestly’ so the boys do not get ‘distracted’? Chetan - like a textbook uncle who sends WhatsApp forwards without fact-checking them, you are giving unnecessary gyaan to the youth of the country which a) no one asked for b) is terrible advice for not just the youth but any human being who has ever existed. All of us, even men your age and older, have sexual desires. Repressing them is of no use and will bring you only harm. I hereby request you to educate yourself on sex positivity and its importance. Meanwhile, please allow your sons some screen time even if they are sitting inside a kambal (quilt). Deepansh Duggal is an entertainment, pop-culture and trends writer based in New Delhi. He specializes in op-eds based on the socio-political and gender issues in the world of entertainment and showbiz. He also writes explainers and occasionally reviews shows in the OTT space. He tweets at @Deepansh75.  Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. 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