Black profile pics on social media to mark Blackout Day
Times of India | 20 August 2024
Kolkata:A multitude of women observed Female Blackout Day from 8am to 9pm on Monday by posting completely dark profile photos to protest against the R G Kar rape and murder. Men and transgenders also joined the protest. This reaction came barely a month after the black dot protest gained significant traction on social media for showing solidarity towards the mass uprising in Bangladesh.
Precisely at 8am on Monday, homemaker Mithu Dey darkened her WhatsApp profile photo.“Instead of simply creating and forwarding reels and messages, I wanted to take a stand and do something where I am accountable. This is a form of silent protest,” Dey asserted.
Some 4,980 km away in Singapore, her school batchmate Paromita Ghosh did the same. Ghosh went a step further and changed the display photo of the all-women school batchmate group. “ It serves as a visual reminder of the ongoing struggle and the need for a safe environment for women in Kolkata and throughout India,” Ghosh stated.
Black display photos are commonly used to express fond remembrance or mourning. For Somini Sen Dua, the founder director of Mrittika Earthy Talks, her darkened display photo is a metaphor for the ‘fight for womanhood’.
Heritage activist Tathagata Neogi, who darkened his DP (display picture), said, “We are witnessing a shambolic state of affairs here. What transpired was tragic. I couldn't believe that everything in the system is so rotten to the core. This is my protest too.”
Transwoman teacher Suchitra Dey said this dot was symbolic of profound sadness. “I have been to multiple protests and still have nightmares contemplating the immense pain the R G Kar doctor must have endured before she passed away. This black dot is a continuation of my show of solidarity ,” Dey said.