Recently an article, "The Modern Girl" by one Purabi Chakraborty was doing its rounds on Facebook and it caught my eye, but for all the wrong reasons. I don't think what the words modern mean. first of all the title itself is appalling. What a modern mindset signify? It's not about what you wear, the language you speak, how you do your hair or the fashion trends you like to follow, it's all about rationalism and a liberal outlook towards life. But to Purabi, it is just the dress, fashion, and style you follow. She even has the audacity to call women selfish.
I guess being independent, financially and otherwise, being confident, self-sufficient, empowered and responsible for our own actions is selfish. Women are no more confined by the decisions the men make for them, the way people like Purabi would like them to be. What is worse is, she being a woman herself, is propagating such ideas and that too in essays for school students.
Purabi Chakraborty is the perfect conservative representative of patriarchy which rests on the idea of male superiority. The concept of women empowerment not only focuses on providing strength but at the same time it also stresses on the need to educate the people and inculcate a sense of respect towards women and consider them as equals. Why is it only the girls who should look after the family, the children, the pros and cons of a family? A family includes both men and women, both are equally responsible. This may seem like a repetition and some people think they do share the load with women. But even the educated, so-called intelligentsia of our society still can't get it right. While people are working hard to make this a better place for women, people like Purabi are hell-bent on work against it.
It is not too rare that we come across people who criticise women for being independent. It beats me how a woman could not understand the struggles of women in the society and go on to ridicule them like Purabi did. I wonder, are women like her the worst enemy of the 'modern' woman?
The views expressed in the article are the author's own.
