The Crossbill News Desk
Calling on women to “smash the patriarchy” and fight for their space in society, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi used the fourth edition of his ‘Chhatron ki goonj’ programme in Pune on Saturday to launch a sharp critique of gendered expectations, patriarchal attitudes and what he described as the different standards applied to men and women.
The programme, held at Pune’s AISSMS Ground on August 22, was primarily addressed to women. Gandhi was joined on stage at different points by women who spoke about their experiences of sexual harassment, discrimination at the workplace, concerns over public safety, difficulties using public transport and family pressure to marry instead of continuing their education or careers.
Gandhi argued that women were routinely reduced to a narrow set of identities despite their achievements and aspirations.
“Whenever I speak to a man,” Gandhi said at the beginning of his hour-long programme, “women are put in three boxes: you are either seen as a daughter, as a wife or as a mother.”
While there is nothing wrong with being those things, “this cannot be your only identity”.
“It cannot be that we have brilliant women who are doing completely fascinating and different things, who are professionals, who are sportswomen, who do multiple different things, and then the only identity that they are given, by our men, is these three,” the LoP said.
Referring to an extract from the ancient Manusmriti that he said denied women independence, Gandhi described the idea as a “shame”.
“Because these words should never, ever have been spoken … You do not belong to anybody, except yourself,” he said.
His remarks came against the backdrop of the Congress’s repeated criticism of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh over what the party describes as their ideological association with the Manusmriti.
Gandhi also took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent comments on women protesters using expletives during the youth agitation at Jantar Mantar. During the programme, he played a video of Modi speaking about forgiving the protesters, including young women who had allegedly used abusive language against him and his mother.
Gandhi contrasted Modi’s reaction with old videos of the Prime Minister making his “Rs 50 crore girlfriend” and “didi o didi” remarks.
“If boys use expletives, then no problem, they are allowed to do it. But if girls use expletives, it is a cultural shock, it does not befit them,” he told the audience.
He also played clips of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s controversial 2013 remarks on rape and former Haryana chief minister and Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s 2018 comments on rape cases.
“If boys use expletives, then no problem, they are allowed to do it. But if girls use expletives, it is a cultural shock, it does not befit them. Bhagwat ji says rape happens in India but not in Bharat. Khattar ji says that 80% of rapes happen because of women. This is a mindset, and a struggle is taking place against it,” the MP for Rae Bareli said.
Gandhi said the larger problem was a patriarchal mindset that sought to restrict women’s freedom and dictate their place in society.
“This mindset is that a girl has a place, that she should be closed in a cage, she should be controlled, she should not work, and boys should have full freedom … We don’t want this kind of India,” said Gandhi.
He concluded by urging women to challenge these structures and assert their independence.
Calling on his audience to “smash the patriarchy”, Gandhi said his message was for women to “be loud, be proud, fight for your space in society”.
The latest programme was part of Gandhi’s ongoing ‘Chhatron ki goonj’ outreach, which began in June shortly after the Cockroach Janta Party launched its protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG paper leak and other issues affecting young people.
As the youth agitation has continued and entered a new phase, Gandhi’s student outreach programmes have increasingly moved beyond the immediate concerns surrounding examinations and paper leaks to address wider questions of employment, social discrimination, gender and the experiences of young people in contemporary India.
The Pune event, centred on women’s voices and the challenge to patriarchal norms, marked the latest chapter in that expanding political engagement.
The programme, held at Pune’s AISSMS Ground on August 22, was primarily addressed to women. Gandhi was joined on stage at different points by women who spoke about their experiences of sexual harassment, discrimination at the workplace, concerns over public safety, difficulties using public transport and family pressure to marry instead of continuing their education or careers.
Gandhi argued that women were routinely reduced to a narrow set of identities despite their achievements and aspirations.
“Whenever I speak to a man,” Gandhi said at the beginning of his hour-long programme, “women are put in three boxes: you are either seen as a daughter, as a wife or as a mother.”
While there is nothing wrong with being those things, “this cannot be your only identity”.
“It cannot be that we have brilliant women who are doing completely fascinating and different things, who are professionals, who are sportswomen, who do multiple different things, and then the only identity that they are given, by our men, is these three,” the LoP said.
Referring to an extract from the ancient Manusmriti that he said denied women independence, Gandhi described the idea as a “shame”.
“Because these words should never, ever have been spoken … You do not belong to anybody, except yourself,” he said.
His remarks came against the backdrop of the Congress’s repeated criticism of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh over what the party describes as their ideological association with the Manusmriti.
Gandhi also took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent comments on women protesters using expletives during the youth agitation at Jantar Mantar. During the programme, he played a video of Modi speaking about forgiving the protesters, including young women who had allegedly used abusive language against him and his mother.
Gandhi contrasted Modi’s reaction with old videos of the Prime Minister making his “Rs 50 crore girlfriend” and “didi o didi” remarks.
“If boys use expletives, then no problem, they are allowed to do it. But if girls use expletives, it is a cultural shock, it does not befit them,” he told the audience.
He also played clips of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s controversial 2013 remarks on rape and former Haryana chief minister and Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s 2018 comments on rape cases.
“If boys use expletives, then no problem, they are allowed to do it. But if girls use expletives, it is a cultural shock, it does not befit them. Bhagwat ji says rape happens in India but not in Bharat. Khattar ji says that 80% of rapes happen because of women. This is a mindset, and a struggle is taking place against it,” the MP for Rae Bareli said.
Gandhi said the larger problem was a patriarchal mindset that sought to restrict women’s freedom and dictate their place in society.
“This mindset is that a girl has a place, that she should be closed in a cage, she should be controlled, she should not work, and boys should have full freedom … We don’t want this kind of India,” said Gandhi.
He concluded by urging women to challenge these structures and assert their independence.
Calling on his audience to “smash the patriarchy”, Gandhi said his message was for women to “be loud, be proud, fight for your space in society”.
The latest programme was part of Gandhi’s ongoing ‘Chhatron ki goonj’ outreach, which began in June shortly after the Cockroach Janta Party launched its protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the NEET-UG paper leak and other issues affecting young people.
As the youth agitation has continued and entered a new phase, Gandhi’s student outreach programmes have increasingly moved beyond the immediate concerns surrounding examinations and paper leaks to address wider questions of employment, social discrimination, gender and the experiences of young people in contemporary India.
The Pune event, centred on women’s voices and the challenge to patriarchal norms, marked the latest chapter in that expanding political engagement.
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