Hearing sexist or homophobic remarks is not an uncommon occurrence in India. But to have these bigoted views paraded outside a place of worship? Also, pretty common, but it’s doesn’t help make it any more admissible. Reportedly, free literature distributed outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, have some very perturbing content.
Authored by former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Kirpal Singh Badungar, the eight-page booklet ‘Gurmat Atte Istari Libas’ talks about women’s problematic clothing and how same-sex marriage is “western culture”. With over 50,000 published copies being handed out outside the Golden Temple, the booklets propagate the idea that “a woman’s clothes should be very simple” during sangat (a religious gathering) as “attractive attire can have a bad impact on others’ mind,” an Indian Express report stated.
Ironically, a line in the booklet states, “One should concentrate on God while doing sangat.” However, the only fix to the problem of men submitting to their “natural attraction” to a woman in a sangat is through covering up women.
(Courtesy: Wikimedia/Oleg Yunakov)
“Punjabi suit salwar-kameez is accepted (sic) attire for the women in our society, culture and Sikh circles,” the booklet states. “We shouldn’t follow Western culture by allowing women to wear jeans and skirts,” it adds, equating such “socials evils” to drug addiction and female foeticide.
Another one of Badungar’s booklets, titled ‘Same-sex Marriage: Destructive Trend’, is circulated outside the temple. It challenges the concept of same-sex marriage, claiming that it opposes the “culture, history, religion and social norms” of India. Good for Mr Badungar then that India doesn’t recognise such marriages as legitimate.
The booklet reads, “Same-sex marriages should be taken as a direct attack on Indian culture. It is a conspiracy by the USA to make people morally corrupt. Two women under same-sex marriage will indirectly make way for prostitution.”
(Courtesy: Express Photo/Ganesh Shirsekar)
The statement is followed by another outrageous line which strongly indicates that he has never met a lesbian: “Such women will never get satisfaction without a man in their life.” Around 50,000 copies of ‘Same-sex Marriage: Destructive Trend’ have been published since March 2017.
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Speaking to the Indian Express, Badungar clarified that his booklet on women’s clothing was a response to a newspaper article and specifically talked about garments appropriate for the gurudwaras. However, he stood by his repulsion to the idea of same-sex marriages, reiterating that they weren’t part of the Indian culture.
Why is bigotry widely-accepted when women aren’t even allowed to wear what they want? And no-no. For him, women’s clothing not even an issue because of the Indian culture, or respect for the Gods, or whatever sorry excuse we’re passing on these days. We just don’t want them distracting the men who clearly seem so dedicated to praying. Accepting homosexuality is still a far-fetched and probably naive dream. It is downright frightful how such backward notions, which oppress and mock equality, never make it to India’s infamous list of bans.
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