November 21, 2024

TMC Leader Akhil Giri Pulled Up For Body Shaming President Murmu

By Anukriti Roy
First publised on 2022-11-14 06:33:47

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Anukriti is a student who dabbles in writing when she finds time.

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The patriarchal mentality considers women as objects and child-rearing machines which means they are evaluated by their looks. Even if men are not good-looking (this is a subjective term and should not be used but is being used repeatedly in this article to highlight the discrimination), they prefer their female partners (or those in public service, as in the instant case) to be perfect as per the 'values' society associates with them - mainly, fair complexioned, slim with long hair and demure. Any woman that does not fit in to this description is often body-shamed.

It is against this backdrop that we must see what Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Bengal prisons minister Akhil Giri spoke about President Murmu. To a wildly cheering group of supporters, Giri said that President Murmu is not good-looking, is she? And they laughed, clapped and said no. So now the President of India will be evaluated by her looks as per the wishes of a politician and not by her work. Giri was angry that the BJP had said that he was ugly (or not good looking) and to show that not all politicians or those who hold public office are not good looking, he made the obnoxious comparison.

The TMC has distanced itself from Giri's remarks and he has been reprimanded. Meanwhile, BJP leader Locket Chatterjee has lodged an FIR against Giri for "insulting the President". The TMC, which has sent many good looking film actors from Bengal to the Lok Sabha, must impress upon Giri that looks do not matter and body shaming, if it is made with reference to the President or any common person, will not be condoned. Giri has issued an apology mixing it with the attack on his own 'looks'.  He called the remarks against the President "a momentary lapse of judgment". This will not do. He must issue an unconditional apology to President Droupadi Murmu.