Singer Sona Mohapatra has reacted to veteran television actor Mukesh Khanna’s recent, sexist comment about working women. Sona says that people such as him are best ignored.
Sona retweeted a news report on Mukesh’s comment and wrote, “Yea, cus men never ever molested or assaulted women & children inside homes according to this fellow who is best ignored. Tacky mandhbudhi (dimwittedness).The sad truth is there are enough & more such regressive mindsets around us everywhere? We soldier on. Change is slow but is coming.”
In the interview, given to The Filmy Charcha, Mukesh had said that #MeToo cases happen because women have started joining the workforce. He said that it is the duty of women to take care of the household. “Aurat ka kaam hai ghar sambhalna, jo maaf karna mein kabhi kabhi bol bhi jata hu (the job of a woman is to take care of the house). Problem kaha se shuru hui hai #MeToo ki jab aurato ne bhi kaam karna shuru kar diya (the problem of #MeToo began when women started working). Aaj aurat mard ke saath kandhe se kandha milane ki baat karti hai (today, women talk about walking shoulder-to-shoulder with men).”
He added, “Log women’s lib ki baat karenge, lekin main aapko bata doon, problem yahin se shuru hoti hai (people talk about women’s liberation, but let me tell you that where the problem begins). Sabse pehla jo member suffer karta hai woh ghar ka bachcha suffer karta hai, jisko maa nahi milti (the first person who suffers is the child, because he doesn’t have a mother taking care of him at home). Aaya ke saath baith kar Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi dekh raha hota hai (he sits and watches TV with his nanny all day). Jab se shuruat hui, tab se yeh bhi shuruat hui ke main bhi wohi karungi jo mard karta hai. Nahi, mard mard hai aurat aurat hai (It all began when women started saying that they want to do what men do. No, a man is a man and a woman is a woman.).” He said that he understood that in the ‘modern world’, this might not be an acceptable thing to say.
On Sunday, Mukesh shared new posts on Instagram, defending his statement. “I am really surprised that one of my statements is being taken very wrongly. I am being told I am against women. Hardly anyone would have the respect I have for women. That is why I opposed the name LAXMI BOMB. I am concerned about the safety of women. I have spoken against every rape case. Some people have made a noise about the clipping of one of my interviews.”
He added, “I never said that women should not work. I was just going to tell how Me Too starts. In our country, women have made their way into every field. Then whether she is a defense minister, finance minister, foreign minister or in space, everywhere women have waved their glory. So how can I be against working for a woman.” Mukesh’s comments were widely criticised on social media.
