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A statement on chastity by Khusboo made the very people who built a temple for her agitate against her. Their demand to exile her is louder than the 'quit India' proclamation.
In the midst of 'Khusboo was wrong and wrong again…' whispers in her support are being heard. India Today, the reason for all these troubles, has published an article. We are reproducing the article here.
Beyond the social-moral firmament, Khusboo's statement has been politicized. This raises issues of tolerance. Celebrated as the daughter-in-law of Tamilnadu is now being made cheap by the agitations around Tamilnadu. In September 28th issue of India Today carried an article 'Sex and young women' based on a scientifically valid nationwide survey. Reacting to the statistical data available in the survey, Khusboo expressed her opinion. She had some progressive ideas on women's sexual freedom in a general context. But they have been slanted by a section of people as a criticism against the Tamil women.
The section that includes Pattali Makkal Party and Viduthali Siruthaihal are conducting statewide agitations. Cases are being filed on behalf of this section. "It was acceptable if the statement had said that pre-marital sex is proliferating, but Khusboo had challenged to show how many women are there who did not have pre-marital sex in an interview to a publication. By this she has questioned the very chastity of all women. That is the reason we have filed defamation cases against her under section: 500, 504, 509" said K. Balu the leader of the lawyers' wing of Pattali Makkal Party.
Beyond agitations and court cases, voices are raised for exiling her from Tamilnadu. Intellectuals who are coming out in support of Khusboo opine that this is a dangerous trend. They seem to view the agitations and demands for Khusboo's exile from Tamilnadu as an opposition to freedom of expression.
But the right wing organizations have a different take.
"It is not right to express anything under the guise of freedom of expression. Expressions that may hurt the feelings of the people should be avoided" says L. Ganesan, General Secretary of BJP. Apart from freedom expression, voices are raised from among women's rights organizations and intellectuals welcoming Khusboo's opinion.
Even when the removal of Kannagi's statue became an issue, Kanimozhi, daughter of DMK leader Karunanidhi and a poet, told India Today, that it was an unexpected opposition from Thirumavalavan's Viduthali Siruthaihal, who was reported to have said that "chastity is a Hindutva concept."
Rajini, a woman lawyer from Madurai says that cases will be filed against the political leaders who have induced cases to be filed against Khusboo.
"When Khusboo had not said anything against Tamil women, I am determined to file cases against those politicians who have twisted Khusboo's statement and I am seeking the support of women lawyers," says Rajini.
Women's rights activists and intellectuals who support Khusboo's opinion think that these agitations are being politicized.
"I am in total agreement with everything India Today wrote of Khusboo's opinion. She never said anything against Tamil women. She has expressed her opinion like a matured social scientist. It is absurd to think that our politicians have not understood the changing social life as Khusboo has understood" says Professor A. Marks who has started a pamphlet campaign in support of Khusboo
He laments "the Shiv Sena culture is highly condemnable in the land where Periyar was born who brought out a resolution that said "it is not wrong for married women to have relationship with other men" in the Drivdia Kazhagam conference at Selam in 1970. It is disturbing to see the leaders of the Tamil Protection Movement to fight for Bal Thackerey's place in a land where Periyar had lived and exhorted, if married men could keep two concubines, married women too can keep four lovers"
In the meantime, certain Dalit organizations have condemned Thirumavalavan's line of action in organizing the agitations against Khusboo.
"To be in the media limelight and to seek cheap publicity, Thirumavalavan is exceeding his limits in taking up the issues of Vijayakanth and Kushboo and putting the Dalit issues behind. It is to be condemned" says Thirunavukarasu, the lawyer and the State organizer of Dalit movements.
Singling out Khusboo and filing cases against her have drawn the ire of intellectuals.
'By filing a series of defamation cases, they are spoiling her mental peace" says Nataraj a Periyar follower, who plastered the city with posters supporting Khusboo in voicing women's rights opinions.
"Khusboo's support to women came to public knowledge when she demanded an apology from Thankar Bachan for having made derogatory remarks against lady artistes. Now she has made her support for women very well known through her statement in India Today" says Nataraj.
The Dalit poet Tai. Kandasami severely condemns the Viduthalai Siruthaihal's line of action. "What Khusboo said is totally acceptable. Her opinion on women's sexual freedom is quite acceptable. Why should we oppose it?" he raises a question.
While the arguments in support of Khusboo and against her are happening, arguments on it being politicised are also surfacing.
Actor Charuhasan says that one has to examine the politics behind the Khusboo issue. He has sent e-mails to many of his friends in seeking their support to Khusboo.
Many condemn the trend where there is no tolerance to any opinion. "This trend of zero tolerance is not created by certain movements alone, but zero tolerance has become the voice of the society. Support to dress codes and majority mentality are condemnable." Says the political critic Ravikumar.
He says that the political parties have taken up the issue of Khusboo in an effort to politicize the majority mentality.
"Caste parties like PMK are trying to break free from their narrow confines. That is why they are taking up such issues that support the majority mentality.
In a way, they have used the Khusboo issue as a trump card" says Ravikumar.
That this personal opinion of Khusboo has been politicized is openly acknowledged.
Sun TV, the DMK supporter gave undue importance to the agitations organized by PMK and Viduthalai Siruthaihal. Tamil Murasu, the eveninger from Sun TV Group is extending great importance to these agitations.
Jaya TV, the supporter of ADMK, features news against these agitations. Jaya TV featured a compilation of interviews held with women who participated in these agitations. In it, a woman who participated in an agitation against Khusboo says, " they called me and asked me shout. That is why I came". Asked to which publication did Khusboo give interview, a woman says "tutorial". Jaya TV is calling these crowds as being "set up".
ADMK's official newspaper Namadu MGR writes an article criticizing the Sun TV team involved in it. This apart, the reasons for politicizing the Khusboo issue also add to the complication.
Thankar Bachan is an open supporter of Tamil Protection Movement. That is the reason why, it is reported, Thirumavalavan is blowing the Kusboo issue out of proportion.
Thirumavalavan is teasing Vijayakanth, President of the National Progressive Dravidian Party and President of Nadigar Sangam that Nadigar Sangam should condemn Khusboo or else he should resign.
The same justice meted out to Thankar Bachan should apply to Khusboo too, he says.
But Nadigar Sangam has announced that Khusboo's statement is her personal opinion and that Nadigar Sanagam will not interfere in it. This is how the Khusboo issue has been strongly politicized.
Legal expert Rajini says that the political organizations lead by men have mobilized women agitators against Khusboo to achieve personal benefit.
Author Vasanthi says that fundamental issues are thoroughly ignored in this. There is a monster behind all this that is the monster of politics. She says, just as the grass turned into swords for the Yadavas when anyone approached them, innocent words have become ammunition to the guns.
The agitating parties are all anti-social and anti-society, says Manushyaputhran, Editor of Uyirmai.
"Parties that have no conviction to raise the people's problems, just to be in the forefront, are raising issues of sex. He says, "Foisting such backward ideas on Tamil culture is an example of cultural fascism.""That opinion was expressed on the ratings derived from a survey. There is no need to have blown it out of proportion" says Ravikumar.
There is a general agreement on this. However, the agitators have no plans to give up this issue. This politicized issue can be moved to the next level only after a public debate. This issue has raised its head between those who support Khusboo and those who oppose her. This cannot any more be treated as an issue concerning Khusboo alone.
This is evidently a difference of opinion between two sections in the same society. This can be resolved only by healthy public debate and not by demands or violence.
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-06.10.2005
