When it comes to IQ and mindset, there is not much difference between an illiterate Talibani and a patriarchal neta.
Politicians often lack intellectual depth and sometimes even basic common sense and on occasions often blurt statements that make them a laughing stock before the public.
The latest instance is Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar who on Sunday said a lot of modern women in India want to stay single and are not willing to give birth after marriage and desire children by surrogacy.
A few days back when a western reporter asked a Taliban member why there were no women in the Taliban cabinet, he said women are there to give birth to babies and nothing else.
Patriarchy eating up on ettiquette
The stark similarity is very striking. A state Health Minister feels that modern women are supposed to only give birth to children and no other utility. Obnoxious, it seems. What is surprising is why the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru invited such morons to speak on such august platforms.
When it comes to IQ and mindset, there is not much difference between an illiterate Talibani and a patriarchal Neta. Maybe the latter does not have a gun slung around his back like a Talibani but what he utters is more lethal than bullets. He is still stuck in the age-old archaic, feudal, chauvinist mindset which sees women only as a tool for procreation and nothing else.
To them, it’s okay when celebrities like Tushar Kapoor and Karan Johar can willingly opt for surrogacy, but the idea of a single or a married woman opting for surrogacy doesn’t go well in the mind.
Women are still made the subject of mockery by chauvinists
Motherhood is a very intimate feeling and above all, not a topic to be commented on by strangers. Women are judged for having kids early, having kids late, not having kids, opting for surrogacy, opting for IVF and everything else. There is no stop to this pathetic mindset.
This is not the first time we have our politicians speaking on subjects they have scant knowledge of. I remember a politician who was invited to speak about Mr Rafi Ahmad Kidwai, a freedom fighter and Islamic Scholar. The politician thought it was a ceremony to honour Mohammad Rafi and he dealt out a lengthy speech on the renowned playback singer. It was only after catcalls and whistles that the Neta realized his folly and made a hasty exit.
While some men continue to live in such ignorance, it makes life difficult for all genders equally. Overcoming such patriarchal and misogynistic behaviour in daily life can be tedious for both men and women.
Feature Image: Mr K Sudhakar/ Facebook