Aparna Pallavi's current callings are as a therapist, contemplative writer and researcher of indigenous and forest foods. Gender and patriarchy are among her favorite subjects in her contemplative writing. Formerly she has had a two decade long career as an environment journalist. She currently lives in Auroville, Pondicherry, writing and working on her own healing. Her writings can be accessed on her Facebook wall.
As those oppressed realise their freedom, Savarna men feel a 'loss of control' over those they were used to controlling, and the anger they feel for this 'loss' comes out in further oppressive behaviour.
Why are women miles ahead of men in understanding feminist thought? Why do men find it more difficult to understand and respect boundaries than women?
After the kiss, it remains upto Ratna to keep her feet on the ground, while Ashwin goes into easy rants about not caring for the world, because the world does not impact him as it does her...
Men do not want make the effort to understand women as just as human, because they want to go on enjoying the entitlement that they have enjoyed for centuries.
Feeling shame is the mind's defence system against doing wrong, and this is damaged in boys as they grow up by a patriarchy that benefits from men being violent towards woman.
In the patriarchal world of Indian mythology, women are supposed to obey, to follow rules, to yield to male control. The story of Ganga is the outlier.
Saying 'inner feminine' for gentler, intuitive qualities and 'inner masculine' for active, logical ones is stereotypical and counterproductive on the way to self-actualisation, feels the author.
Women's anger is justified, living suppressed in a rape culture, and our oppressors still safe because we've not owned our anger yet.
He had lived all his life on the basis of a charismatic exterior, relying on the fascination of people weaker than him to prop him up. That is what he had hoped in our relationship.
If a sexist, privileged, entitled man openly fantasizes about underage women on a food group by comparing pink ginger lemon pickle to a 'blushing virgin after her first kiss', he needs to be called out.
A woman who draws boundaries to say enough threatens rape culture, bringing out the aggression in men who feel their entitlement is being challenged.
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