CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is often praised as a progressive state, particularly on indicators concerning women empowerment. However, that does not make it immune to politicians putting their foot in their mouths with lewd and misogynistic remarks, particularly during election season when women become unnecessary targets.
Just two days after the announcement of elections and the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), two AIADMK leaders, ironically at a statewide protest organised by their National Democratic Alliance condemning the state’s law and order situation, including concerns over women’s safety, kickstarted this election season’s barrage of sexist remarks from politicians, all of whom will be out on the field for campaigning.
For C Ve Shanmugam, whose remarks drew widespread criticism, this was not his first time courting such a controversy. Barely five months ago, he had remarked at a booth agents’ meeting that the DMK would roll out a slew of election promises: “Free mixies, grinders, goats, cows — and why not even a wife for every person? If you vote, they’ll give those too.”
Meanwhile, another former minister, Dindigul Srinivasan, on Wednesday said women would be “confused” about how to wear sarees distributed by the DMK, as the party had not provided petticoats. Even before the MCC came into force, the BJP state president sparked criticism by linking TVK leader Vijay with an actress.
Even leaders seen as progressive have made such remarks. During the 2021 elections, A Raja compared Stalin to a “legitimate” child and Edappadi Palaniswami to “one born of an illicit affair”, drawing widespread criticism.
In the same election, Dindigul I Leoni body-shamed women in a campaign speech. Raja later issued a half-hearted apology, while Leoni deflected responsibility and candidate Karthikeya Sivasenapathy apologised.
Not even towering figures of the Dravidian movement have not been above such comments. AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa had targeted Kanimozhi with a distasteful remark before the 2011 election. Similarly, DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi was accused of making unsavoury remarks targeting Jayalalithaa. In one instance, he said he would address her as ‘Mrs’, referring to her marital status, when asked about Jayalalithaa persistently referring to the 2006-11 DMK government as a “minority government”.
Chief Minister M K Stalin, during campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, suggested that Jayalalithaa had maintained a close political relationship with Narendra Modi, deliberately deploying a sarcastic tone filled with innuendo. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, too, had in the past used suggestive language while referring to AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and its expelled leader V K Sasikala.
Despite women constituting over 50% of the electorate in the state with parties trying to woo them with welfare measures, such remarks rarely result in a collective backlash from large sections of woman voters. However, that could also be because of the limited options they have since women candidates in Tamil Nadu have never exceeded 10% in any Assembly elections.
K Balabharathi, three-time MLA of CPM, said such remarks demonstrate very little has changed in how male politicians view women, where invoking a woman is still used as an insult against another man or scheme. “This also reflects how Dravidian parties have one foot in the present century, advocating women’s rights and welfare schemes, and the other in the past century - in their attitudes towards women. Since the recent remark was made during elections, the Election Commission must take strict action, as it has a responsibility to uphold gender equality,” she said.