JOIN USSuccess comes with baggage. Times are changing, and so are the habits of women – those habits which have been followed meticulously since time immemorial.
On the other hand are women, who risk being classified ‘regressive’ by peers for showing an inclination towards household chores. A homemaker could be taunted for not being able to do chores according to in-laws expectations while a working woman will likely be taunted for not tending to the household.
A recent example facing discrimination was Deana Uppal, Miss India-UK 2012, who was racially abused in UK’s reality show Big Brother, where she introduced herself by saying that she was single and lived in a house with three servants and so is not familiar with household chores. The housemates jeered and accused her of not knowing chores in spite of being an Indian.
Both ways, women seem to be doomed. Is not knowing household chores a blessing or a curse?
A lot of youngsters believe that household chores maybe very important, but not knowing them and being mocked at for this reason and that too by foreigners is outrageous.
Abhishek Arora, an engineering student at G.B. Pant University, says, “Not just girls, everyone should know basic household work. How can they categorise it as something specific to Indians?”
Apra Mathur, a student says, “If they are so keen on commenting on us, they should know that one of top chefs in Masterchef Australia - Season 4 is an Indian. Let’s talk about how much they know. If I don’t know how to cook and wash up, am I not a good enough Indian?”
Deana hasn’t let the country down; she might be used to maids in her home. In view of that, not knowing household chores is not a curse, it’s a lifestyle. Sriyanka Gangopadhyay, a Political Science student in Gargi College, says, “It’s tragic that they still look at India of the 50s and 60s. How can they forget that Indian women are the best when it comes to managing both –homes and their jobs?” However, some feel that if Deana is in fact proud of not knowing household chores she doesn’t need to be thought about at all, considering that all of this happened on a reality show. A feminist who does not wish to be named, says, “I wouldn’t like to comment on the issue because someone who already introduced herself a classist, doesn’t need defense. This is just absurd.”
Seema Saxena, a school teacher, says, “People are hypocrites. They just need to find someone to jeer at. A housewife’s work is hardly recognised but a comment against someone who doesn’t know these exhausting chores has forced you to think?”
Shloak Verma, a school student, says, “This comes from a male dominated society. When mothers-in-law and husbands do not appreciate a woman either way, how does it matter whether she’s adding to the family income or doing chores. Why question an outsider? He’s just reflecting what we show to the world.”
For some, the word reality show changes the equation. Vivek Singh, student of NLU, Delhi, says, “Deana is playing the race card like Shilpa Shetty. I am not saying that what happened was not wrong but what is going to happen will be highly exaggerated.”
There will always be flaws in a woman’s work, whatever she is doing. Jokes will be passed around on her driving, cooking, managing and working skills. The mindset hasn’t changed because the roots are still alive. The new generation is bringing in change but a lot still needs to be taken care of.