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Sexism is well and alive in every political party in India, including the AAP which promised to be different
Ages ago, my maternal aunt had almost keeled over when I had announced my intention of marrying a Malayalee, and the only words she could utter were, “She must be black, no?”
Now so many years later, the in-house ignoramus cum clown of the Aam Aadmi Party, Kumar Vishwas has been heard saying that “earlier men were comfortable with nurses because they came only from Kerala. They were dark so the men were happy to call them ‘sister’ and no more. Many of these girls wouldn’t even put up their profile photos. Now there are north Indian nurses, absolutely glamorous.”
According to this man, dark women can only be sisters, and not wives or girlfriends, and that only North Indian women are “glamorous”. Even if I allow for the fact that this man was a roadside clown in his earlier avatar, it does not condone such blatant racist and sexist jibes. His website adds insult to injury by proclaiming that this seemingly semi-literate man is “overall, an iconic blend of a Performing Poet, an Author, a Social Communicator and a Motivator.” The website also tells us that he is a youth icon, and, hold your breath, a professor! He is supposed to possess an MA and a PhD, and I for one would definitely like to know from where he obtained these degrees.
Kumar Vishwas does have his apologists in the AAP, who say that this offending video is two years old, and that as a performer he was only playing to the gallery. To me, playing to the gallery by passing such racist and sexist comments is a crime in itself, and this man should now have the grace to stand up and apologize. I know I am asking for too much, and for all I know soon the AAP might hold a rally to protest against what I am saying.
Sadly, he is not the only ignoramus in the AAP. Many of us watched in horror the antics of the other man- Somnath Bharti- Delhi’s law minister-calling Ugandan women prostitutes and drug peddlers. This man is supposedly a lawyer, and I am sure the courts where he practised law must be delighted that he is not seen there anymore.
Since Kumar Vishwas and Somnath Bharti have knowingly stooped to the gutters and pointed fingers at other people’s skin colour, looks and motives, may I ask them to look in the mirror themselves? And once they are at it, they could also take a peek inside their minds- however miniscule those might be- to figure out what makes them so sexist, racist and sickening.
Pic credit: The Dark Is Beautiful campaign
I am a former bureaucrat, and have worked a lot on gender issues, disaster management and good governance. I am also the proud father of two lovely daughters. read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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