Stripping down in public as a means of protesting against some social evils or restrictions is not a new concept for the world. In western countries, public stripping is carried out by many individuals and groups who go out nude or semi-nude in public places, demanding certain goals they want to get accomplished. These days, Indian scenario is also witnessing such threats of exhibitionism, either for a social cause, or for an individual one. But exposing one’s body in public is considered as a taboo and is against proper public order. During ancient times, the history traces back to the Neanderthal men to have to cover up his private areas with leaves or tree skin which later evolved and gave way to modern dressing style. But the story is a bit different in the fast-paced modern era that we live in. Now, even if a female body is fully packed and covered up with a burqa, it still cannot escape the gaze of lusty jackals in sheepskin. Nudity in the form of contemptible porn is overwhelmingly abounding. Still, it is very alarming and a bit shocking to digest the fact that people resort to cheap publicity stunts like stripping in public. One such publicity stunt, which shook Indian moral conscience, occurred two years back, when Poonam Pandey, a then-not-so-well-known Mumbai model, volunteered to strip for the Indian cricket team if they brought home the World Cup. Poonam Pandey was also catapulted to heights of celebrated status dominating the list of most googled persons in India. Was she offering her dignity and modesty as a price for a World Cup in a specific sport? Or was that a tempting bribe for the Indian cricket players to play hard, so that they could get the cup as well as the ‘forbidden fruit’ inside it? The consequences of stripping in public places vary in different parts of the world and also under different social structures. Sometimes, legal action and intervention of courts are initiated if the act of stripping is termed to be too obscene or vulgar, disrupting public order.
