Sending out the wrong signal

Haryana’s pride should be its women who have broken gender barriers, not the veil

The Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana desperately needs to get its communication right. The recent issue of Krishi Samvad, a government magazine, carries a photograph of a veiled woman carrying cattle feed. The caption on the cover reads: “Ghoonghat ki aan-baan, mahra Haryana ki pechchan” (Pride of the veil is the identity of my Haryana). Reacting sharply to the description, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said it reflected the regressive attitude of the ruling BJP government. The ministers, however, defended the government, citing that the numerous measures taken to empower women.

The truth is, the Khattar government may not agree, the photo and caption shows State support for a patriarchal practice that has no place in a modern society. The Khattar government must realise that such depictions go against the pro-women programmes that it has launched.

For decades women from Haryana have broken patriarchal barriers to win laurels, especially in sports. The State could have used any of those achievements to showcase its identity. That the women of the state don’t agree with the depiction is clear from 28-year-old freestyle wrestler Geeta Phogat’s response. “We have come from a place where girls should be kept behind a veil, would not be allowed to come out... go to school,” she told NDTV. “My father pulled us out from such a state... helped us reach where we are,” said the athlete who won India’s first ever gold medal in wrestling at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Does she sound supportive of what Haryana calls its proud identity?