THE DOUBLE STANDARD

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.