Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Housewives are worse than donkeys

Yep! that is what is being taught to 14-year old kids in Rajasthan, India in a state-approved text-book. Read the details here . According to the state education official, Mr A. R. Khan, "the comparison was made in good humour.''

Hmmm...so does this mean that I am allowed to make all sorts of racist, sexist jokes publicly, insult our flag, anthem, constitution, judicial system, President, threaten the Prime Minister, make cat-calls and light-assault and then at the end say that all those were done with a sense of humor??

I would not have mind these banters if a truly utopian society existed with love, respect and concern for each and every living creature. But in a society where women are considered burdens and looked down as inferiors, dowries are common, domestic-violence is rampant, female infanticide is highest in the world, women are constantly sexually harassed on roads, I don't understand the meaning of having such humors in the class. Does the state government make sure that teachers point this out as a joke while teaching it????? If not, then how can they (the state government) gurantee that these kids will grow up with the correct idea that housewives and donkeys should not be compared, that men and women are equal, each should walk by the side of the other, hold hands and become friends???

4 comments:

  1. Just imagine what the little kids would react when faced with such drivel. Normally, kids learn progressive things at school, and go home and tell their parents about it. If schools themselves teach such bull, then there is no hope.

    On a lighter note, from personal experience, i knoww at least one wife who is better than donkey... she sings better ;);)=))...

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  2. What about her other abilities ;);)=))?????

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  3. Thats beyond pathetic! I cant believe it's been told to 14yr olds and that too in a school!

    **But in a society where women are considered burdens and looked down as inferiors, dowries are common, domestic-violence is rampant, female infanticide is highest in the world, women are constantly sexually harassed on roads, I don't understand the meaning of having such humors in the class.

    spot on KL! As if this kind of tasteless humor helps the already sexist culture. Some PPL need to get a brain b4 teaching kids.


    Sray...

    ** i knoww at least one wife who is better than donkey... she sings better

    sorry but this doesnt sound like a joke...Any comparison of a human to an animal as a joke is tasteless.

    Keshi.

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  4. Thanks Keshi. If they were teaching in such a way to teach the students to see how pathetic the lives of many many women in India are and used that example as a simile, I wouldn't have mind, but nope they didn't do that.

    Also, sray's that joke was very very very personal and was made in a very sarcastic way, with those politicians in mind. To make a long story short, he is one of the most feminist person and supporter of women's upliftment that I have ever met. Honestly lots of feminism ideas I learn from him everyday.

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