Women in this country are constantly being shamed for one thing or another. We are shamed for being too fat or too skinny. We are put down if we’re pro-life or if we work too much and are career-oriented. One after the other we’re constantly jumping over hurdles to fight these statements.
And once again, we’re being shamed.
This time it is designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee who criticized women in India for not wearing sarees and giving a preference to western outfits.
Speaking at Harvard University, one of the top designers in the country said that he found a “major disconnect” when he observed Indian women and men losing touch with their roots. They are becoming “socially insecure”, he rued.
While answering a question on how difficult draping a saree is, he said,
“Think, if you tell me that you do not know how to wear a saree, I would say shame on you. It’s a part of your culture, (you) need stand up for it.”
The remark was received with a resounding applause from the audience.
Twitterati obviously didn’t take the comment lying down. They shared their thoughts and slammed the designer.
1. Yes. Patriarchy, it’s toxic, you know that right?
“I think, if you tell me that you do not know how to wear a saree, I would say shame on you. It's a part of your culture, (you) need stand up for it.” You know what else is part of our culture? Patriarchy. Shame on you for perpetuating it. https://t.co/C0j2d8ss48
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) February 12, 2018
2. Hey, can you cook?
Shame on Sabyasachi if he doesn't know how to make a samosa or dhokla. It's a part of his culinary culture. https://t.co/0jB0JUzgyQ
— Siddharth Singh (@siddharth3) February 12, 2018
3. Spot on.
https://twitter.com/supriyan/status/962969559799160832
4. You must lead the way.
Dear @sabya_mukherjee before judging Indian women, please tell me, why don't you set an example by wearing only dhuti? SHAME ON YOU https://t.co/GfCkNyNxg5
— Agnivo Niyogi (অগ্নিভ নিয়োগী) (@Aagan86) February 12, 2018
5. Dear Men…
https://twitter.com/nirali_ss/status/962974210300657664
6. Is that a thing now?
Did he just #SareeShame ? https://t.co/w7wMR2uVZk
— That Goan Guy (@schmmuck) February 12, 2018
7. Glen Coco! You go, Glen Coco!
No, @sabya_mukherjee, shame on your non-inclusive, savarna, male privileged ass.
Shame on you for assuming women need your validation, for forgetting about the millions of Indian women for whom the saree isn't the traditional garb.
Use your voice for something useful, you tool. https://t.co/3sbgyzSlUZ— namaah (@thehappyn00dle) February 12, 2018
8. We really feel bad that we weren’t taught this very important skill.
I don't know how to wear a saree. Sad they didn't taught such an important thing in medicine. All we know is how to save ppl's lives. Shame on me ! https://t.co/Uj4GlJA1ho
— TôNa 🍁 (@badmademoisell) February 12, 2018
9. This is one user’s opinion.
https://twitter.com/tarinee467/status/962935151423614976
10. Blunt.
Yaar Sabyasachi can you please stfu? https://t.co/KLb0LooxJj
— Kashika Saxena (@SaxenaKashika) February 12, 2018
11. This is funny.
Oh fuck off @sabya_mukherjee https://t.co/ePvbNPVcfr
— Gigi (is back) (@mycrotchetyluv) February 12, 2018
12. Haven’t we had enough?
Yet another capitalist sermonising women how to live their lives. https://t.co/Kyjon9j3XM
— Nidhi (@nidzk123) February 12, 2018
13. Don’t you have other things to do?
arre yaar why is it so difficult to just be quiet and do your own work na. STOP👏🏽TELLING👏🏽WOMEN👏🏽HOW👏🏽TO👏🏽LIVE👏🏽 https://t.co/529ydmeyDF
— Dee (@deekshabhushan) February 12, 2018
14. That’s what’s left.
https://twitter.com/AsYouNotLike/status/962964881791045633
15. It’s exhausting.
What the hell ! @sabya_mukherjee et tu!
I am tired of Indian men telling us do 's don't, shame,honor and the likes.https://t.co/gd3caStoqW— Pooja Priyamvada #PsychologicalFirstAid (@SoulVersified) February 12, 2018
16. Savage.
Shame on these men with a sense of entitlement! What gives them the right to decide what women must drink/wear, how they should laugh/behave, what is shameful to know/ not know/do ?
Go back to your caves. Stay there. https://t.co/2VLvp0XT70
— Nomadique_On_Hold (@NomadiqueInKeds) February 12, 2018
17. It’s been an eventful week.
Oh man! Just too much pressure on Indian women this week. Drinking beer and laughing loudly were easier. What's next? Shame on us for not making round rotis? https://t.co/CxYzZlZQkX
— Vijayeta (@SacredInsanity) February 12, 2018
18. Passing judgments is so easy.
Not his prerogative to pronounce judgement on women who don’t know how to wear sarees, shocked that such an obtuse comment is not taken as a sexist one ,there is more to women than wearing sarees .
— Kirty Kochar (@kirty_kochar) February 12, 2018
19. Really did lose all my respect.
What nonsense. Lost all my respect for him after reading this idiotic statement from him.
— Anupama Dalmia (@Anupama_Dalmia) February 12, 2018
20. True story!
Maybe fewer young women are not wearing sarees because you're selling em for 80K bro pic.twitter.com/atGail8ehq
— Tanmay Bhat (@thetanmay) February 12, 2018
Last week itself the Goa CM made a statement saying he’s worried for girls drinking beer that enraged netizens. This lead to women all over the country sharing photos of themselves on Twitter with a beer in their hand.
It’s 2018 and we’re still dealing with regressive statements like these. It’s really a shame. And from a woman who doesn’t know how to drape a saree, Mr. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, thank you for once again talking from a place of privilege and culture shaming me over a piece of dissolvable fabric.