No pants? No thanks

"Home is where the pants aren’t" was a trending Instagram post a few weeks back. On June 22 this year, it might just read "Women are where the panties aren’t". Yes, you read that right. Shocked? Surprised? Or, in the case of men, simply elated? June 22 happens to be the "World No Panty Day" — a US-based website theKLIQUE has been doing this for a couple of years now and women the world over are being urged to go underwear free and let their bodies breathe. If you’re tired of all this yoga heat and want to cool your, ah, yourself, this landmark day falls just after the first-ever International Yoga Day on June 21. A happy coincidence or just plain luck? You decide.

Undergarments have always been at the forefront of women’s liberation since the 1960s when "bra burning" protests first came to forefront in America. Though no bras were actually burnt then; it was all about discarding cosmetic products to mark a protest against beauty pageants and society’s cruel expectations from women. Bras have been symbolic of every feminist effort to gain equality but now they can retire. It's time for panty power.

I’ve always wondered how lingerie gets dragged into all this. There is obviously a genuine reason why one wears underwear. How does taking one’s underwear off help in anything? Wearing or not wearing underwear is an intimate personal choice. How is it symbolic of a woman’s right to equality? What’s a harmless panty got to do with it anyway?

Most men still wear underwear even if that hasn’t been changed for days. Has that given them any privilege in any way? How will not wearing one elevate a woman’s status? You don’t want to wear a panty on a specific day, feel free to not do so. If it’s all about fun, go ahead and have fun. The idea should be to do what you want and do it quietly. Remember, men can always get back by celebrating a "No Boxers Day". Ugh.