A new slam poem by a student at the National University of Juridicial Sciences in Kolkata engages with these issues. Performed during the National Youth Poetry Slam at the university, Vinatoli Yeptho’s Five Rules for whomever it may concern has gone viral on Facebook with close to 2,000 shares since it was uploaded last week.
Four of the rules are directed at people who make snap judgements based on the kinds of clothing women wear. “If I wear red cherry blossom lipstick and smile at you, do not take it otherwise. Trust me, it’s just courtesy, not curiosity.”
It’s the anger of the delivery and what comes after the rules that seems to have resonated with viewers. “And if you still do not obey these rules, my forefathers were headhunters. I was born out of a clan of warriors. Remember the world’s hottest chilli is growing in my grandmother’s garden.”
