{"id":8108,"date":"2020-01-14T13:28:23","date_gmt":"2020-01-14T07:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/34.22.110.190\/english\/?p=8108"},"modified":"2020-01-14T16:46:25","modified_gmt":"2020-01-14T11:16:25","slug":"kanhaiya-kumar-asks-bjp-leader-were-you-wearing-bangles-not-cool-say-gender-activists-netizens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebengalstory.com\/english\/kanhaiya-kumar-asks-bjp-leader-were-you-wearing-bangles-not-cool-say-gender-activists-netizens\/","title":{"rendered":"Kanhaiya Kumar asks BJP leader, \u201cwere you wearing bangles?\u201d Not cool, say gender activists, netizens"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kanhaiya Kumar, former Jawaharlal Nehru Students\u2019 Union president and leader of the Communist Party of India, has offended many with his \u201cwere you wearing bangles\u201d comment during a debate on national television a few days back.<\/p>\n

During a debate on India Today, conducted by journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, Kumar and Bharatiya Janata Party\u2019s Amitabh Sinha were engaged in a heated exchange on the killing of 76 Central force jawans in 2010. On April 6, 2010, 76 Central Reserve Police Force jawans were killed in a Maoist ambush in Dantewada of Chhattisgarh, which is considered one of the most horrific attacks on the paramilitary forces that the country has ever seen.<\/p>\n

BJP leader Amitabh Sinha, also a JNU alumnus, alleged that following the death of the jawans, students of the Left students\u2019 union at JNU were celebrating and distributing sweets. Kanhaiya Kumar objected to this allegation, and said that he was enrolled in JNU in 2011 and therefore his participation in the alleged celebration was not possible.<\/p>\n

The popular Left students\u2019 leader then went on to ask Sinha what he was doing during that time. \u201cWhere were you then? Were you wearing bangles?\u201d Kanhaiya Kumar asked. Wearing of bangles alludes to a commonly used stereotype of women \u2013 that is associated with the notion of weakness and inability to act or react due to lack of strength, diffidence or shyness. This deeply problematic notion of womanliness has been criticised often but still finds place in a culture that is influenced by the use and dominance of \u201cmale\u201d language. Such \u201coff the cuff\u201d remarks or \u201cslip of tongue\u201d comments indicate how deeply entrenched the patriarchal notions are in the \u201caccepted\u201d language around us.<\/p>\n

Social media posts over the past few days indicated that many were offended by Kanhaiya Kumar\u2019s comment. The former JNUSU president has often been viewed by the young and the old alike as a hero and leader aware of and sensitive to gender equality.<\/p>\n

According to theatre practitioner and gender rights activist Panchali Kar, \u201cMisogynist slurs are not welcome, no matter how noble the intention. We need sensitised and inclusive argument. Looking at the demography of oppression perpetrated by the fascist state backed by the corporations, we can see that every minority is at the receiving end \u2013 be it the poor, so-called lower class & caste, women, gender & sexual minorities. Every community is contributing in its own way to fight tough times, and therefore, ostracising one community while commenting on fascism is just not acceptable\u201d. They run a Facebook page which posted the following:<\/p>\n

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Courtesy: Panchali Kar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Many others reflected similar thoughts on social media over the past couple of days. According to Ratnadeep Banerjee, \u201cKanhaiya, kahe itna gussa hote ho? [why are you so angry?] And secondly \u201cchuri\u201d bangle is not a sign of weakness. My mother, my sister, my friends, all Indian females wear bangles. Remember Mr Kanhaiya it is not a sign of weakness\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Shambhavi Siddhi wrote on her Facebook account: \u201cKanhaiya Kumar\u2019s debate is sooo gender insensitive\u2026\u201d Not cool at all, the post continues, and questions how he could \u201cbring revolution\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Some were more “forgiving” though. Another Facebook user Rima Modgil wrote: \u201c\u2026 I have heard his opinions on patriarchy, on gender\u2026 he has too refined a mind to make such a vulgar statement. The attack on him by some of my favourite pages is exactly the disease that ails the Right\u2026 they selectively pick and choose words, phrases to vilify their rivals and we are beginning to do it to our own\u2026 If he has indeed said it, let him explain himself. And apologise.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Panchali Kar added, \u201cWhat is<\/em> the problem with bangles, really? Hard working women around the country wear them. Daily labours, domestic workers, those working in mills and factories and brick kilns… In most cases women\u2019s works aren\u2019t documented and accounted, which doesn\u2019t mean they are just non functional because they wear bangles.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bengal Story tried contacting Kanhaiya Kumar for his reaction, but he was not available for comment.<\/p>\n

Here is the relevant part of the debate:<\/p>\n

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