Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Sabyasachi Mukherjee, saree shaming will not cause more women to embrace culture - there is nothing to be ashamed of for not knowing how to drape a saree.
Sabyasachi Mukherjee, saree shaming will not cause more women to embrace culture – there is nothing to be ashamed of for not knowing how to drape a saree.
So I just read the speech Sabyasachi delivered at the Harvard India Conference and the way internet stormed to backlash him in every possible way. I was impressed by the way he talked about our roots and culture but at the same time I got offended when he tried to humiliate the Indian ladies for not knowing how to drape a saree.
I firmly believe that there is a huge difference in ‘NOT KNOWING’ how to drape a saree and ‘NOT LOVING’ to drape a saree. I personally know a lot of girls who have no idea about how to drape a saree but at the same time they look for occasions to wear a saree. Come Diwali or marriage season, and social media is flooded with saree pics of every lady, young and old. Today we have an option of relying on the beauty parlours and mommy dearest for dressing us up as opposed to our ancestors who didn’t live in such luxuries. Back then, girls were not even given the liberty to move out alone, forget about going to a parlour. Instead of being ashamed, I am proud of the fact that Indian women have advanced so much to earn such luxuries for themselves. And just a passing thought- Does Deepika Padukone drape the saree herself, that she was applauded?
As humans we have come a long way and as women, a longer one. Humans accepted metal vessels as compared to earthen pots for cooking. We started using LPG instead of fire. We spun fabrics leaving behind the leaves and animal skin. We have fought the battles of sustenance and made a place for ourselves, just because we had the ability to adapt with the changing times. If we continue to do what our grandmothers did, we would have never come this long a way. According to me, we should always respect our culture but never get so engraved in it that we cease to accept the changes around us. Indian women have progressed a lot while respecting the Indian culture. Let’s applaud their efforts of progression and hence, making a place for themselves on the international stage.
A lehenga or ghaghra-choli are equally a part of our tradition and everyone young and old, is embracing it as a quick dress up option for parties and festivals. Why isn’t their love for lehenga applauded by you Mr. Sabyasanchi?
Shaming a person is no way of encouraging them to embrace a particular belief or culture.
If you can’t praise and admire someone, then please don’t condemn them so much so that they lose all respect for you and forget all the good work you have done for ages. Finally, I don’t know how to wear a saree. I am definitely not proud of the fact, but neither am I ashamed of the same.
Published here earlier.
Image Source: By WisecrackSonal (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
I am a mother of a baby boy, a management graduate and a multi-faceted professional mom making home a sweeter place to live in. read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
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.
Please enter your email address