(Courtesy: The Image)
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit was having a press conference in Chennai. At the end of the press conference, while leaving the podium, the Governor patted the cheek of a woman journalist Ms. Lakshmi Subramanian.
I agree what he did was not a custom in Tamil culture. Patting the cheek or touching the head of a younger person by an older person is an honorable North Indian custom.
But this woman journalist and a few political parties are making this a big issue. The woman journalist wrote an email to the Governor telling him she did not appreciate that pat on her cheek, The Governor sent a reply to her apologizing for this. She is still angry.
This woman journalist is now giving lot of interviews to various channels about this horrible incident that happened to her. A few political parties are making a big deal out of this incident. They are asking the Governor to resign and go home. A Chennai Press Club member is charging the Governor with “outraging the modesty of a woman”.
This woman journalist says she washed her cheek several times but could not get rid of that disgusting feeling.
Oh yeah? Come on. Suppose President Obama visits Chennai and you were one of the reporters at his press conference. At the end of the press conference Mr. Obama kisses you on your cheek or hugs you. What will you do? Kissing on the cheek and hugging are American custom and not a Tamil culture.
Will you write an angry email to Obama telling him your modesty is outraged? Noooo. You won't wash your cheek for 6 months (if it was a kiss) or you won't change your clothes and take a shower for 6 months (if it was a hug).
Also, you will be giving interviews how lucky you are because Obama singled you out..
In the current situation when India is outraged by the rape of little Asifa.... she is making a big issue about a pat on her cheek.. why not use her journalist skills in getting justice for our child.
ReplyDeleteSimilar outrage happened when Richard Gere came to India in 2007 for an AIDS awareness Event and all people and political parties made a huge deal of him dipping Actress Shilpa Shetty and kissing her cheek.
#Outraged #Idiots #Unproductive People #Pathetic
Thanks for your comments Dee. The difference is Shilpa Shetty did not complain. It is those unproductive pathetic idiots who complained.
DeleteYou are absolutely right...but there are always people who support idiots and stupid things ..in this Lakshmi persons case the political parties who support her nonsense
DeleteYou are correct Dee. If she was really outraged she should have told this to the Governor immediately when he touched her. Not after going home, and after washing her cheek several times. I think a few political parties are using her.
DeleteWell it isn't only about the fuss she is making and that its nothing compared to the rape of Asifa. Lets not lose sight of the fact that the Governor was being overly condescending and patriarchal by touching her face. She didn't like it and she has every right to make a fuss.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Kalpanaa. And welcome to my blog. I read your blog post “about me”. I have to hand it to you. You are a brave person. I salute you. I agree with you Ms. Lakshmi has every right to make a fuss. My question at the end of my blog post was will she do the same “fuss” if Obama did a kiss or hug to her. Will Ms. Lakshmi say that her “karpu poiduthu” (for non Tamil speaking people the translation is “Oh my God my chastity was stripped away by his kissing or hugging me). If you say honestly that Lakshmi will cry that her chastity was stripped away by Obama kissing her cheek, I will openly apologize to you and to Ms. Lakshmi.
DeleteKalpanaa, please visit here as often as possible. Thanks.
I haven't seen the clipping nor her interviews. To me it sounds very patronizing and intrusive. If it made her feel uncomfortable and creepy, she has a right to voice it out. In case Obama pats her cheek and that appeals to her, that's alright, I believe. I guess it all depends on how you feel in your gut when it is done.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Shilpa. I agree with you that it all depends on how one feels in her gut when it is done. But this looks like orchestrated as an after thought.
DeleteThis story sucks from every angle.
ReplyDeleteLakshmi Subramanian - 14 minutes and counting…
Governor Banwarilal Purohit – you’re a disgusting pig for touching her face.
Regards,
Anthony Weiner
Thanks for your comments Anthony. Look who is talking. Hillary Clinton lost partially because of you. Your wife was Hillary's political aide. You were sexting and sending the photo of your private part to several minor girls.
DeleteYes, she should have told him immediately after he patted her cheek. Why take so much time to decide about whether his intention was normal or odd. I saw the clip and thought why so much fuss.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Sandhya. If she hated his patting her, she should have protested immediately.
DeleteConsidering his age and the venue was a public place, i feel his intention must have been honest. Nevertheless it would be good to follow the culture of the local place in such matters to avoid such unpleasantness.The apology and its acceptance should leave the matter as closed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Mr. KP. Agree with you. Why make such a big deal after he apologized.
DeleteWho does that in a professional set up. A politician touching a women journalist in any way is unprofessional in my opinion. Also like Shilpa said if she didnt like his touch she didnt. And it could be possible that she is trying to make best from the situation. But since we are not at her place, we cant comment. But for sure politicians should meet people professionally, especially when the meet is professional and not personal!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Shesha. I agree with you fully. But the problem is she made a big "fuss" after a while and after consulting a few people. If she was offended genuinely she would have responded immediately on the spot to the Governor. She is not an uneducated person. She is a journalist.
DeleteThere is a chance that this issue has been blown up to divert the attention of people from the actual reason why the press meet was held in the first place? One can never be sure about the motivations behind the actions of politicians!
ReplyDeleteDestination Infinity
Thanks for your comments Rajesh. You are absolutely right. We don't know the behind the scene plans by the vested interests.
DeleteAs I was not there so can not make any comment without knowing the true facts S but being a journalist I will say that people should know there limits S...
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Yashi.
DeleteThanks for this post , SG. It feels good to know that most of the people are awake. Comments above prove that.
ReplyDeleteThe governor's intention might have been or might not have been wrong. The journalist might have felt odd. She had e mailed the governor and had conveyed it. Governor had also apologised. Now, even after apologising, why is the journalist and media still crying? Are they not understanding that we common people are educated enough to understand it was either cheap publicity gimmick or it was to divert our attention?
True, what you said SG. She is doing all these things, I think for some cheap popularity.He might have done it publicly means he might have held paternal feeling for her. Dirty politics and irresponsible medias have engaged in some gimmicks to obtain mileage.
ReplyDeleteAll those who stand around bear a hilarious smile. None including her seem to have any ill feeling.
ReplyDeletePeople blow everything out of proportion these days but maybe she really felt uncomfortable with the way he touched her. In India, men don't touch women unnecessarily. So Obama kissing on cheek is unrelated to this topic. After coming to US, people get used to hugs and kissing on cheek. I still feel weird when someone does that in US.
ReplyDelete