“Safety is the luxury of not having to remind yourself to breathe” wrote Shuktara Lal. But who is she?
Suktara Sangha stands here. It is a place with more than one meaning. We are in Kolkata. We are standing in front of Suktara Sangha. Two different Suktara Sanghas exist in Kolkata. This Suktara Sangha Srishti is located at 1 Paschim Putiary Raja Rammohan Roy Road. The other Suktara Sangha is the Nawdapara Shuktara Bijoy Sangha Sporting Club. It opens at 9:00 AM. It is located at 7 Bhagaban Manhal St Nehaboot Nagar Ariadaha.
Shuktara Lal is a writer from Kolkata. She uses theatre for wellness. She also uses therapy. In her free time, she cares for seven cats. She wrote about safety during the pandemic. She described it as not having to remind herself to breathe. She felt like a spectator. She watched people discuss the fear of the pandemic. She noticed a reluctance to discuss sexual assault. She also saw a reluctance to discuss domestic violence. Structural violence was also avoided.
Shuktara retreated within. She returned to a place she could call home. She dressed up and did her eyes. She wore winged eyeliner and red lipstick. She reveled in her body because she finally could. She moved freely without locked doors. She no longer had to be strategic. She used to be a plastic toy wound up tight. She dreaded cameras taking pictures without her consent. She is discovering who she is without those personae.
One night Shuktara eased down the stairs. Her toes curled into the cool mosaic. She went to the main door. The darkness that once made her tense was now empty of stress. She relished the quiet. She opened the door and stepped into the garden. The still air caressed her. Her skin responded with goosebumps. The sky above was starless with a haze. It was a mundane night.
Shuktara thought of the luxury of mundaneness. She didn’t have to live with domestic violence. She didn’t have to fear domestic violence during the pandemic. She didn’t have to strategize sanitization. She didn’t have to wear masks indoors. She felt no anxiety sharing space with unsafe people. The tightness that was her second skin was gone. She soaked it up and breathed.
Suktara Sangha offers a space for that breath. Both Suktara Sanghas provide community. They provide a place to gather and celebrate. They provide a space to feel safe and connected. Suktara’s story reminds us of the importance of safety and freedom.