NO LAUGHING MATTER
CONGRESS MP RENUKA CHOWDHURY, WHOSE PARLIAMENTARY TENURE ENDS SOON, TALKS ABOUT BEING MOCKED AT AND INSULTED REPEATEDLY BY HER MALE COLLEAGUES
Not one to take it sitting down, Congress minister Renuka Chowdhury has made it a point to hit back at misogynistic comments time and again. About a month ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at the minister, comparing her laugh to that of a character from the Ramayana. And this time around, Renuka has been body- shamed by VicePresident Venkaiah Naidu. For the uninitiated, during her farewell speech at the Rajya Sabha, Renuka alluded to the fact that she knew Naidu when she was several kilos lighter, and said, “He ( Naidu) knows me from many kilos before. Sir, many people worry about my weight but in this job, you need to throw your weight around.” To this, Naidu replied, “My simple suggestion is, reduce your weight and make efforts to increase the weight of the party.” And the House roared with laughter! It is worth considering here that when the Vice- President of the country gets away with such comments, it will only encourage fellow Indians to emulate him.
We speak to the Congress politician to find out her views on some of the events of the past.
MISOGYNY IS OMNIPRESENT
“You claim you ( Venkaiah Naidu) know me. But does knowing me reduce my stature as a colleague in Parliament? I am as much a member of Parliament as anyone else. What gives anyone the liberty to speak like that?” asks Renuka, adding, “Last time around the Prime Minister did it too. Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju did it, when he uploaded a video showing me as Surpanakha and quickly deleted it when I said that I will file a case. We’ve had another Parliament member Tarun Vijay saying that we tolerate ‘ dark skin’; look at people from South India! Misogyny is present everywhere and we won’t accept it be it from people of our party or another party. This is shameful and a yardstick to show the challenges faced by women.
“Years after Independence, when the Constitution empowered us to vote along with men, we are still struggling with basic fundas. Do they talk about men like that? Do they tell men ‘ Why don’t you lose weight?’ or ‘ Why don’t you get a haircut?’ or ‘ Trim your beard’.”
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You claim you ( Naidu) know me. But does knowing me reduce my stature as a colleague in the Parliament? What gives anyone the liberty to speak like that? Do they talk about men like that? Do they tell men ‘ Why don’t you lose weight?’ or ‘ Why don’t you get a haircut?’ — RENUKA CHOWDHURY