Guys, girls and Suya Mariyathai (Self –Respect)

This post is related to the conclusion part that was made by the host in Suvadu program against so called feminazis. We would like to advice all program directors out there to conduct a thorough research before you decide to slander any pages. Please explore on a topic in depth before you go around making stupid, unwarranted statements which makes you look childish and ignorant. Having said that, let’s look at what the host said – pombelenggeku nu suya mariyathai irukku (women have self –respect). Ok, our first question is why is it the Indian society always harps on women should have self-respect? Indian men don’t have and don’t need self-respect, is it? What’s with the double standard?

See, this is where the problem starts with the Indian society. They allow men to roam around freely and do anything without social restraints. Yet, when it comes to women, they are expected to have self-respect and behave accordingly. Self-respect is not based on gender but is experienced by every human being. You will have to be a ‘jadam’ (corpse) to not to feel anything especially when you are disgraced, humiliated and insulted. So, self respect or ‘suya mariyathai’ does not belong to Indian women alone but Indian men as well.

When Indian men slash and chop each other after getting drunk and their faces were published in the media – they lost their self respect. When Indian men were beaten, arrested and send to prison – they lost their self-respect too. When Indian men were labeled as ‘keling botol’ by other races for getting drunk – they lost their self-respect too. When Indian men were too drunk that they slept on the pavement or road side – they lost their self-respect as well. The list can go on and on and there are too many examples where Indian men lost their self –respects. However, the society prefers to turn blind towards it. The moment Indian girls demand that they should not be judged for consuming alcohol, all hell breaks loose. Many assholes come forward to emphasize that women must have self –respect and maintain or protect that self-respect.

What’s even worst is the fact that some women, who were interviewed, gave comments which further degraded other women out there in that suvadu program. ‘Pombele, pombele maari nadanthukunom (ladies must behave like ladies) and Pombelengge eppadi nadanthukunommo, appadi irukanum (ladies must behave accordingly). Seriously, we didn’t know there are rules on how women must behave. Is there a code for how men must behave? Coz we see a lot of gangsters machas who are lowly educated, involved in drugs and alcohol consumption, machas who are snatch thieves, machas who fill in the prison like it’s their own home and machas who get involved with gang fights. Is this how an ambele must behave? And their attitude is devoid of self-respect and yet no one bats an eye lid.

Self-respect is genderless and applies for both Indian men and women. If something is deemed wrong for women, then it must be wrong for men too. However, the society is striving on oppressing women and allowing men to roam freely like stray dogs. Such society will never be able to progress and will be left behind with its men lacking in self-respect. We hope Suvadu will be much wiser in the topics that they choose to address in the future.