In good faith 39

The minister looked up from his porn video

To say the girl’s character was in question,

And so it was unfair to target the man

Who’d maybe broken a few laws

And just been violent.

(When were men ever the problem?)

 

The minister who was driven everywhere

By her coterie of security guards

Said girls should not go out after 7pm

Where was the need, anyway?

It’s not like they needed to work

Or study, or live a full life.

(That was men’s work.)

 

At the shop, the man was surprised,

That the girl in pants spoke Kannada.

“If you are real Kannadiga”, he said,

“Why to dress like Westerner?”

(And then he sat back in his Allen Solly shirt

And Park Avenue pants.)

 

“We are implementing dress code

Indian wear for girls, western formals for boys”

said the college professor,

“Because Western wear corrupts girls

And jeans corrupts everyone.”

(And then she calmly collected bribes

From a trail of greedy parents

Who all agreed.)

 

The moral police broke into pubs

And hit women who were drinking,

Women who thought they were free.

“They are an insult to Hinduism”, the police said,

“Unlike the sadhus at the Kumbh,

Who stride about naked

And smoke marijuana.”

(They only bring Hinduism honour)

 

And muftis and imams muffled girls’ voices,

Apparently god had made a mistake

Handing out voiceboxes and long hair

And various other body parts,

To women, and it was imperative

That god was not reminded of it.

(Why rub salt in god’s wounds?)

 

At a temple in the South,

The priest rubbed his bare tummy,

Folded his dhoti up, then pointed to a girl

And swore: “Tie up your hair. It is vulgar.”

Then he turned to his flock and said,

“Don’t focus on superficial things.

Try to live life with kindness.”

 

In the movie, the famous star

Had a funny speech about rape

With references to women’s body parts.

It was so funny that families

Roared in laughter, and let their kids see it,

(Misogyny is best started early)

Then, years later, the same star

Led a crusade on TV for women’s rights

And cried when they spoke of violence.

 

At the home, the woman was beaten

By the husband who said,

“She dominates me too much.”

And her relatives agreed.

“Don’t break up the family for your ego”,

They said to her, “Think of the kids

Isn’t it better they have a father?

So what if they see violence everyday?

At least they will have good Indian family values”

 

Meanwhile, on a street somewhere,

A banner flies in the air.

“Happy Women’s Day”, it says

Up to 50% discount on all atrocities

(Offer open till stocks last.)

39 thoughts on “In good faith

  1. Reply mendhi Mar 8,2013 5:13 pm

    This is fantastic! Very well done. Please keep writing!

  2. Reply narayan Mar 9,2013 1:20 pm

    Came across your blog through a friend who posted this on FB. in one word, “Fabulous”. Looking forward to seeing more from you.

    Best,
    Narayan

  3. Reply Shubha N Mar 20,2013 5:53 am

    Well spoken!

  4. Reply M.Venkatachari Mar 31,2013 10:07 am

    Very well expressed the anguish of women in poetry. Moved by it. I had some of feelings expressed in some articles on my blog. But could not put all my feelings in words like you. You are greatly gifted.

  5. Reply Sunil Agarwal Apr 7,2013 5:42 pm

    the poem is really touching! And now, it makes me read more and more here!!

  6. Reply Deepa Iyer May 9,2013 4:47 pm

    Absolutely brilliant! Thumbs up!

  7. Reply Mukund Sudharsan M G Aug 5,2013 1:44 pm

    I loved this poem of yours particularly. It is just too good. I don’t intend any offence, I liked the sarcasm in your lines, while talking about the narrow mindedness of people towards women..

  8. Reply Prashanth Sep 22,2013 12:26 pm

    Satirical ! Very nice, when the reflection of one seems like a contrasting opposite.

  9. Reply Dhavan NAgar Jun 3,2014 6:43 am

    Amazing… Please keep on writing… 🙂

  10. Reply Krishna Jain Jun 3,2014 6:47 am

    You couldn’t have put being a woman in India and its pitfalls in a better manner! Amazing!

  11. Reply Robert Egbe Jun 3,2014 7:22 am

    This is really good. I love it. I’m a Nigerian living in Lagos and we have similar attitudes to women in some parts of northern Nigeria where the Islamic Sharia law is practiced. I’m definitely going to share this. Do keep up the writing. Well done.

  12. Reply ajinkya Jun 3,2014 8:50 am

    hey,
    great writing here.
    cheers
    and hope to read more from you.

  13. Reply Manika Jun 3,2014 9:15 am

    totally loved the ‘intended sattire’!!… it is actually what people say and think..we need to reverse our mind-set about the tragedies engulfing women and stop blaming them for being the victim(which is literally ingrained in the mindsey of our society).. 🙁

  14. Reply Sanjay Kumar Singh Jun 3,2014 9:43 am

    Awesome piece, Sarcastically hilarious…. Loved it…. Keep them coming, eagerly waiting…

  15. Reply bikram vohra Jun 3,2014 12:52 pm

    Hi,
    I am a former editor of Indian Express, Gulf News, Khaleej Times and several other papers and currently am involved with several website including my facebook page where I do a daily piece and have a total follwoing of 17,000 people.

    Someone sent me yourp iece and I thought I’d carry it with youro kay.Please go to my page and if you like it then send me an email today.
    Asianlite.com
    thewhy.com
    bikram vohra on facebook.
    governancenow.com

    Thanks and keep writing

  16. Reply Malik Jun 3,2014 1:04 pm

    The protagonists in this note do not represent the majority. If a Politician, Mullah, Sadhu or someone does something wrong, that does not mean all men think same. Though a good write, but most of the people who would read this, will blame politics, religion, country, customs for all the evils and atrocities against women. Before this note is taken seriously, that perception should be corrected.

  17. Reply BlogwatiG Jun 3,2014 2:40 pm

    Came here via an FB share. Promptly re-shared. Following you for more. How do I compliment you for this piece? Even as it shows me a mirror that I don’t want to see, but can’t ignore…..

  18. Reply GL Jun 3,2014 5:28 pm

    Allen Solly and Park Avenue are Indian! Allen Solly belongs to Aditya Birla group and Park Avenue belongs to Raymond.

  19. Reply Saurabh Verma Jun 3,2014 10:24 pm

    Very nicely written.. Everyone is sharing this on Facebook..
    You writing is blunt and now is viral online..
    Hats off to you.!! Good job.!! 🙂

  20. Reply Jhoomur Bose Jun 4,2014 1:58 am

    Very well written Suchi. Keep up the good work. Also read your About Me page — be an artiste, but don’t give up your regular job. Artistry doesn’t pay. 🙂

  21. Reply Gaurav Jun 4,2014 3:10 am

    Hi Suchi,

    Saw this shared on FB.

    Found it insightful and moving – especially about the speech in 3 idiots which I found revolting.

    Great work, hope it opens some eyes.

  22. Reply Mannat Jun 4,2014 4:24 am

    Kudos to you Suchi
    Your’e an amazing writer
    I live in UP and I connected to the article more than other people who would have read it
    Keep up the good work ^_^ India needs people like you

  23. Reply Mary Priya Jun 4,2014 6:32 am

    A really touching poem. You have put all the questions that I have in mind very nicely.

  24. Reply Ramya Jun 4,2014 2:46 pm

    Awesome! love the approach, different from the style of voicing such issues in a nagging way that’s there all over the net.

  25. Reply Vinita Jun 5,2014 1:50 am

    Absolutely brilliant! More please…. We need to expose the rampant hypocrisy around us.

  26. Reply Vinita Jun 5,2014 2:44 am

    Why aren’t you on Facebook?

  27. Reply sandesh Jun 5,2014 4:39 am

    loved the poem awesome work

  28. Reply Sanjith Jun 5,2014 2:38 pm

    perfectly candid and open..! I’m not the expert but i like it.

  29. Reply Nitin Pandey Jun 5,2014 8:02 pm

    Excellent. Well jotted.

  30. Reply Nirmala Fernandez Jun 9,2014 2:35 pm

    A very well written expose of the morals in our country.

  31. Reply Girish KC Oct 27,2014 12:17 pm

    What a poem!!! You have a gift. Keep writing such thought provoking stuff.

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