BHOPAL: Scrambling to action after a Class 11 student shared a disturbing video of obscene defacement of a roadside wall in a viral social media post, Gwalior Municipal Corporation repainted the wall white, erasing all the objectionable markings and artwork. The walls, painted with murals depicting women in myriad Yoga asanas, were found defaced with vulgar scratches and markings earlier.The matter drew public attention and outrage after a Class 11 student, Aashi Kushwah, shared a video of the damaged artwork on social media. The murals, created under the Smart City initiative, featured black silhouettes of women performing yoga postures. The vulgar markings were visible on specific portions of the figures.
Sharing the clip of the defaced wall art on her social media handle, the Class 11 student tagged her post with a message that read, “Had to call this out. I pass by this road daily, and seeing this every single day fills me with anger and disgust. Gwalior is proudly called a SMART City, but where is the SMARTNESS of its people? This is not harmless damage — this is cheap thinking, dirty mentality, and deep disrespect. It’s shameful, embarrassing, and extremely disappointing that even a woman’s painting isn’t safe from such sick minds. If this is our mindset, then the title of ‘Smart City’ means absolutely NOTHING.”Speaking to TOI, Aashi said she was initially hesitant about posting the video, as she is a minor and also because of the enormity of the obscene defacement of a public property.“I was a little scared to post this video because I am in Class 11 and chhoti bhi hun, thodi aise city-level step lene ke liye (I am not old enough yet to take such a step). But this was necessary. If I had ignored it, things would have remained the same like they have been for years,” she said. She further stated that the issue was not limited to one city.“This isn’t just the state of public spaces and properties in Gwalior, but it is the same elsewhere across the country. The wall will be fixed and repainted, but what about the mentality of people who are objectifying even a black painting of a woman? Women are not safe even in paintings. It’s shameful. It’s disappointing and sad,” she added.Following the post, several social media influencers visited the location. Lokendra Singh alias ‘Ketu’ reached the site with paint and paintbrush, repairing the defaced portions of the murals. “When I saw the reel on my social media feed, I felt so bad that I went to the spot and re-painted the objectionable markings on the wall. People should refrain from indulging in such acts,” Lokendra told TOI. Subsequently, the Gwalior Municipal Corporation repainted the entire wall white, removing all markings and artwork. GMC commissioner Sangh Priy told TOI, “The wall has been painted white for now. We are planning an event at the same location where we will invite Gen Z to paint the wall again with positive messages. We will provide the paint, along with snacks.” The civic body said further details about the proposed event will be shared separately.
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