Maneka Gandhi Draws a New Lakshmanrekha

Have you have ever visited the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur? The tiny jharokhas in the front wall are only used to look outside.They don’t even give a glimpse of the world inside. It was a fort built for the women of the royal family. The idea behind the jharokhas was that the women can observe the outside world without being seen. These jharokhas are embodiment of patriarchal constraints on women. Imagine being a woman whose whole connection with the outside world comprises of a tiny whole in the wall.

This is exactly what our current Minister of Women and Child Welfare, Maneka Gandhi wants to do. She wants to confine female students in their hostels as much as possible. She has on record said that there should be an earlier curfew for women in their hostels for their own protection. She went on to say that a 16-17 year old girl is ‘hormonally challenged’. Hence, a lakshmanrekha is drawn to control the ‘hormonal outburst. It is after all, for their own safety. She believes that a parent’s job is to protect the child which includes protecting the children from themselves.

According to her “logic” women are responsible for their own safety and to ensure it, they should just remain in confines. Young adult females’ hormonal equilibrium is too fragile to let them out in society. She justifies the patriarchal norm of keeping women locked away in order to “protect” them.

This is not the first time that such ideas have escaped her mind. She has been spilling pearls of wisdom ever since she assumed office. In her tenure so far, she has suggested that pre-natal sex determination be made mandatory and the mother-to-be must be monitored to ensure that girl child is born. Last year, a few days after International Women’s Day was celebrated, she said that ‘concept of marital rape can’t be applied in Indian context’.

It is not surprising that she has such views about women, considering the party she comes from. The RSS (BJP’s parent body) and its extended family have proudly expressed their anti-women ideas time and again. Here are some examples which made it to news:

Mohan Bhagwat the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief had asked Hindu couples to produce more children.

He is not the only one in the clan to see women as child bearing machines.BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj also issued similar “advice”.

Another BJP MP Yogi Adityanath, in a video, was seen telling people that for every Hindu woman married to a Muslim, a Hindu should marry a 100 Muslim women.

And let’s not forget the famous words by our current Prime Minister after 2002 Gujarat riots. After the riots he took out a Gujarat Gaurav Yatra, where he said “should we run relief camps? (referring to relief camps for riot affected Muslims). Should I start children producing centers there, i.e. relief camps? We want to achieve progress by pursuing the policy of family planning with determination. We are 5 and our 25!!! (Ame panch, Amara panch, referring to the Muslim polygamy)”.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Newsclick.