Arun Trivedi

Daddy And #MeToo Arun Trivedi

While the #MeToo movement is still in its nascent stage, the misuse of power to sexually dominate or take advantage of another human is possibly as old as the existence of human beings on the planet. Daddy and #MeToo is a collection of seven short stories. Each chapter represents the story of a father who is a witness to his daughter's #MeToo moment, while having been on the other side of the equation himself in his earlier life. While this book is about dads and daughters, it is not suggested that only girls or women can have #MeToo moment. There are stories of boys who have been sexually abused by women and even other men, and also of women who have been sexually abused by other women, besides, men. While such incidents are very painful for the victim and people around them, it is also good that such incidents are now being reported more frequently and discussed more openly. The new generation of humans will grow up to be more sensitive to this topic and will possibly make an attempt to be more respectful to their fellow beings. At the same time, the older generation of perpetrators, who may never have thought of consequences of their actions, will likely be more thoughtful and restrained. It is also my firm belief that many of our old stories need to be re-written. We all grew up reading fairy tales, with princes kissing sleeping princesses. Such stories only go on to enforce the societal presumptions that it is okay to kiss someone without their knowledge. This is not okay anymore. Such stories need to be re-written or replaced with better stories, which drive respect for other humans and understanding of feelings and emotions of others.