And yet again here is a fresh
innings of Religion- creative writing
and of course Women.
It is novelist Hareesh’s “Meesha” (moustache) this time, and it
pokes really hard into the society.
It is a perfect breeding ground for
the right wing and the left to clash on freedom, expression, and cultural-religious
crackdown.
PAUSE!! Anyone there to talk of
double standards of society on Women please?
Okay ! let’s not talk of temple. But
isn’t this a crass statement that supports the ideology that women were better
kept within Four walls of the house those days, indicating that religious
institutions were hidden centers of prostitution?
That segment of the novel is an offensive
treatment against women, their dignity, sentiments and faith. The voices of
support to Mr. Hareesh including The Kerala Government has an inconsistent view
on women’s right:
Women’s entry in Sabarimala is the Fundamental
right of women and it’s her Right to pray and worship, whereas women’s entry
into temple being described merely as an act of invitation to physical intimacy
with the priest is creative writing. Sabarimala ( I am talking of Sabarimala
specifically as both issues are rooted in Kerala) comes into a frame of gender inequality
and Meesha is all about Freedom of expression. Isn’t the Government’s Moustache
poking at Women’s Dignity?
If Meesha is not derogatory, then is
“Kasaba” dialogue merely a film dialogue?
The segment of novel is libel to
even husbands portraying them as inefficient to satisfy women and the
Namboothri clan portraying them as immoral.
Comparing Hareesh with Perumal Muragan
is even more disappointing. Madhurobhagan (one part Woman in English) is all
about love, breaking superstition and portrayal of familial pressure and keeps
woman at a higher position. Meesha
cannot be justified in the name of being a period novel of 1960s.
The actual issue is being masked
under the gaga of highlighting Hindutva protest and mention of temple. Here it
is more about faith than just religion. No religious institution can be
portrayed as a brothel where priests choose among the women who come to
worship. It is the faith of womenfolk, a religion and profession that’s defamed
in the name of creative writing. I have grown enjoying reading creative writing.
Ideologies are meant to raise a society. Even if one segment of that writing is
derogatory and defamatory unnecessarily, then the whole novel is a worthless read.
Yes I am a Hindu who has been taught to respect every religion, but first I am a dignified Woman empowered to voice my opinion...after all that's Freedom of expression too.
