Will our leaders ever mind their language?

Shameful remark

A shocker after shocker! First it was Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s shocking remark “rape accused should not be hanged...handing death sentence for rape is not fair...boys make mistakes” and now Trinamool Congress MP and popular Bengali actor Tapas Pal’s outrageous threat to CPI(M) cadre.

“Listen to me...earlier, you guys have bullied me on various occasions...If you insult the mothers and daughters of Trinamool workers, then I won’t spare you. I will let loose my boys in your homes and they will commit rape”, has once raised the question about the so-called ‘lawmakers’ and their attitude towards women.

“These people are our representives, they have taken oath to be part of the government and they are misuing their position. Such remarks are of criminal intent and insult to the women of our society. And usage of such statements is only to buttress a political agenda. He should be defintely suspended by the party,” says, Ranjana Kumari, women’s right activist and director, Centre for Social Research.
“Such people suffer from poor mentality and they do not respect women. They are the ones who are supposed to lead the society but on the other hand they are hampering the society with their remarks and statements,” she adds.

The comments of some political leaders on rape victims is down right appalling and shows their insensitive side as well. Kamini Jaiswal, a respected Supreme Court lawyer and activist wonders, “Why we have to give importance to such mad people? They should just be boycotted and ignored. Even the media should stop giving them importance and stop reporting on such issues. One cannot do anything with anyone’s mindset, the best thing is to ignore them.” 

Asked about Goa Public Works Department Minister Sudin Dhavalikar’s recent statement to ban young girls from wearing short skirts to nightclubs in Goa, Jaiswal’s sarcastic comment was, “What do you expect to wear to a nightclub...a lehenga?”When the country is going through a rough phase in terms of women rights and safety, such remarks by lawmakers is only making the scene worse.

 Dr Achal Bhagat, a Delhi-based psychologist, said, “Violence is actually common in our society and MPs are also violent and part of that same society. Forty per cent of the Indian men beat their wives and this situation is due to the patriarchal society and the education system. More than being a psychological problem, it is about their attitude and not minding their words before speaking.”

Zoya Hasan, an Indian academic and a political scientist too condemned the remark by the actor-turned-politician. “I would not even like to say anything on such an issue. It is just outrageous and totally unacceptable. Clearly some action should be taken against him by the TMC.”