A week ago, the country was shocked at the news that over 60 girls at a Gujarat college were forced to remove their undergarments to ascertain whether they were menstruating.
And even as India was reeling under the shock, Swami Krushnaswarup Dasji, who is associated with the Swaminarayan sect, claimed a "menstruating woman who cooks food for her husband will certainly be reborn as a bitch”.
Following the outrage over the two incidents, an NGO in Delhi organised a 'period feast' on Sunday, with the food cooked by women having their periods. Sachhi Saheli is an NGO that works to educate girls about menstruation and the myths and taboos attached to this natural process.
According to reports, the 'period feast', organised in the Mayur Vihar locality, saw participation of around 300 people. She The People reported "The attendees also signed a pledge to stand in solidarity and reject the myth that women are impure and impious during menstruation."
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Dr Surbhi Singh, the founder of Sachhi Saheli, told She The People, “Sachhi Saheli will continue to raise its voice against such misconceptions, debate myths and break the silence on menstruation because no one has the right to take away the pride of any woman just because she is getting periods.”
A notable attendee at the period feast was Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Sisodia was quoted by ANI as saying, "In today's scientific day and age, there is nothing pure or impure about menstruation, it is a natural biological process that should be taken as it is."
