We Will Make Their Mothers Dance

Here are a few paragraphs from an article by Flavia Agnes which shows the way our elected representatives think about women. The legislators were participating in a discussion on the Bill to ban dance bars in Maharashtra in the state assembly.

[. . .] We were sad, not because we were outnumbered, not even because the Bill was passed unanimously, but because of the manner in which an important issue relating to women was discussed, the comments that were passed on the floor of the House, by our elected representatives, who are under the constitutional mandate to protect the dignity of women!

[. . .]

One of the comments was aimed at us. 'These women who are opposing the ban, we will make their mothers dance ... .' (The comments have to be translated into Marathi to gauge its impact.) During the campaign we had been asked, 'Will you send your daughter to dance in a bar?' But on the floor of the House, the situation had regressed, from our daughters to our mothers! They sniggered: "Isha Koppikar ... she is an atom bomb, atom bomb ... " This evoked great deal of laughter and cheer ... "The dancers wear only 20 per cent clothes" ... More laughter and cheering ... "These women who dance naked (nanga nach), they don't deserve any sympathy". A round of applause.

An esteemed member narrated an incident of his friend's daughter who had committed suicide because she did not get a job. He said it was more dignified to commit suicide than dance in bars. And the House applauded! The message for women is clear: If you happen to be born in a poor family, you are better off dead!

[. . .]

Read the complete piece here.

This entire "moral high ground" that these politicians are claiming for themselves is so revolting and hypocritical. Unfortunately, I don't think there is anything that can be done to change their attitudes. Cleaning their minds is a task akin to cleaning the Aegean stables.

Did we really vote to elect for ourselves such representatives?

Link via: India Uncut