BARKHA DUTT'S PERSONAL VENDETTA AND FRUSTRATIONS ARE NOT INDIA'S TRUTH

If Indians are not outraged by this disgusting Washington Post article written by an equally vomit-inducing journalist in the name of journalism, I don’t know what else should outrage them. This is a gross misrepresentation of the position of Indian people and women in India to say the least. GROSS.

Who gives Barkha Freaking Dutt the right to represent - misrepresent rather AN ENTIRE NATION - in this shockingly biased article, that’s nothing more than a prejudiced piece of junk? Why are you the rest of the great Indian diaspora - the bonafide kind that screams Jai Hind each year on August 15th - silent ? Isn’t this YOUR country? Do you give authority to Barkha Dutt to speak on your behalf? Or are you that thoroughly invested in the “Apna apna dekh lo” philosophy that you give a damn ? Please don’t give me the lame “we’re in the middle of a global pandemic” excuse. You surely can spare an hour away from Youtube and Netflix to ABHOR an agenda laden article that is solely there to misrepresent YOUR country on an INTERNATIONAL platform.

Of course the universal copout here is Barkha can write anything she wants - Freedom of Expression ! Freedom of expression ladies and gentlemen - one I am a staunch advocate for, albeit I also vehemently oppose those who abuse the tenets of FoE. The problem with FoE however is, that the one expressing is usually also escaping accountability.. 9 out of 10 times the speaker is not held accountable for slander or propagating baseless allegations, and in this context the allegation of misogyny has not been laid on one or two persons but an ENTIRE nation!

The problem with FoE is also the irresponsibility and lack of credibility of the speaker, especially when vested interests are involved and people like Barkha don't blink twice before they shove their opinions onto others with ardent tenacity and conviction, until a plethora of lies is accepted as universal truth. How did we ever so dangerously allow the one person who could not be further away from truth, to represent the whole truth? And in this context she is calling ALL OF YOU - the entire nation - misogynists. She means you, you and you - especially you the one who has been fighting for gender equality at a grassroots level all your life - are YOU a misogynist?

The fact that Barkha makes every attempt through her articles to slot India into this regressive dystopian society where the macabre thrive is somewhat of a crime in itself. And what’s worse is we allow her to continue with her arbitrary verbal rampage. The truth simply is that one simply cannot generalise Indians and their idiosyncrasies into a single absolute adjective, try as they may. Impossible.

Yes there's misery. There is a perpetual oscillation of sorts between the comfortable Utopian suburbs and a SLOWLY RECOVERING dystopian society. The socio economic evolution and devolution that happens simultaneously given India's vast cultural diaspora will take time to reach a much needed equilibrium of sorts. We are diverse beyond what we can handle, a paradox trying to find ourselves. We've made mistakes, we're not perfect. BUT NO BARKHA DUTT, WE AS A COUNTRY DON'T CATEGORICALLY HATE WOMEN.

In fact this article masquerading behind your so-called act of Freedom of Speech is a pot full of steaming lies reeking with ulterior motives. Hey! if you’re going to set strategy for the upcoming elections by maligning the majority of the nation that’s vouching for the current ruling party - at least make it a good one. This whole inane yarn you’ve spun around roses and violets will not hold fort even for a second. Not one. Because your so-called misogynistic India is also one that is seething with intelligent and reasonable minds - ones who judge based on proof and reasoning, ones who hold logic above douchebaggery. Let me remind the ladies and gentlemen of India - who don’t care about anything but themselves right now - that the subject of this article on misogyny is a PRIME ACCUSED in an active investigation carried out by THREE central agencies. Accused AND her family are implicated in serious crimes of money laundering, narcotics abuse and quite possibly abetment to suicide or even murder. Where THE FUCK does patriarchy come into picture here? So according to Dutt any woman who is accused in a possible murder of a man should be vindicated based on her gender alone? And this preposterous “STAND” these self nominated feminists have so disappointingly taken openly, is supposed to be ACTIVISM? IS IT NOT SEXISM IN ITS MOST HORRIFIC FORM, TO ASK FOR A WOMAN TO BE VINDICATED JUST BECAUSE SHE IS A WOMAN?

And where are the REAL WATCH DOGS? The silence IS especially DEAFENING when government appointed bodies like NCW that actually have reliable data on state of women in India are silent - can't spare two seconds to strongly condemn or oppose Barkha? ( Maybe, because they’re actually working at a grassroots level taking actions that matter to betterment of women, who knows).

Are we a perfect nation? Not even close but let me also remind the WORLD that more women excel in the field of Science and Technology in India compared to any other country in the world. This is a nation where TWO WOMEN advocates fight for LEGALISATION OF SAME-SEX partnership and WIN in courts. Whereas the so called first world nations are hell bent on an age-old belaboured rhetoric of "marriage is between a man and a woman", and citizens of this great nation where the Washington Post is based, even refused to sell flowers to a couple because of their prejudice against same sex marriages! This nation is home to at least a thousand such shameful anecdotes that The Washington Post won’t publish as their headlines ! APPLAUSE!

India is a nation that CELEBRATES its WOMEN whilst also encouraging us to FIGHT the misogyny. AND YET, NO BARKHA DUTT, NO WE ARE NOT A NATION OF MISOGYNISTS. If you find time to exercise your rotting cerebral muscles, you can make an attempt to KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.

The socio economic tapestry of India is a well defined mixture of high society Utopian suburbs where feminism is merely a cool word that’s abused at superficial levels by the privileged kind in their kitty parties, and the not so privileged and recovering dystopian suburbs where women who are secretly suffering in the hands of abusive alcoholic partners are given justice, employment and hope, and all this is done silently by humanitarian warriors, without ostentatious display of their most noble services. Of course Barkha won’t talk about all that - for people like Barkha truth is like poison since they thrive on consuming lies. We are a nation of paradoxes and whilst we aren’t perfect, we are not all evil either, and don't you DARE generalise us. To that end, I REJECT you and your bullish claims Barkha Dutt - woman to woman - wholeheartedly.