Sucheta Dasgupta

Kathmandu:

Addressing the F-word: Remember the time when you were busy explaining a reaction to some innocuous trend on FTV or trying to get in a critical (well, according to you, yes) word on a conversation on the merits and demerits of Virendra Sehwag’s batting, all emotionally charged up, interactive and, thereby, vulnerable, when someone dropped the deadening: Are you a feminist? You were probably so genuinely surprised that you retained your humour and your urge to share your point of view and were loathe to point out that the question was oh so besides the point, besides being a personal one and one based probably on rudely false assumptions. “That was rude!” you ought to have said, in which case, and silenced the questioner with a withering look to proceed with your argument, instead you ended up ignored and bored out of your wits listening to some pompous, superfluous speaker.

But then remember the other time when after reading Sarah Suleri Goodyear’s ‘Boys will be boys’, you innocently commented to your husband: I am not a feminist but... that sure is a spunky woman or something to that effect? Which are nothing but words to preface an opinion so that it sounds cute but safe, well, unobtrusive.

There are not many women in the English speaking world who have no clue to either or both of these two experiences. I mention English speaking because feminism is an English, if not an exclusively western, word (however, others might also have stories similar to relate). The origins of the word feminism dates back to 1851 when it meant, not inappropriately, the “state of being feminine”. It was first used in its more modern sense of “advocacy of women’s rights” in 1895. The word feminist was first used in 1894, derived from the French féministe (1872). Indian author Subrata Sen (ref. ‘Pondography’) nicely sums it up saying feminism has been the struggle of the (human) female to realise her true and full feminine potential.

Granted that you are not generally struggling to be female or true or anything whatsoever, why does one need to sound unobtrusive when expressing a simple opinion especially at the cost of putting down a very relevant if dated evolution of events or some perfectly sane and quite venerable individuals? Especially when we are still benefiting from them? What holds one back from backing one’s larger identity, one’s group of people, many of whom still happen to be oppressed by widespread notions of misogyny when confronted by a sexist individual or statement? Why didn’t you say ‘yes, I am a feminist because you are a misogynist’ and walk out or change the subject and argue convincingly, depending on your inclination or whether the listeners were receptive enough at that moment, when you were asked whether or not you were one, because misogyny needs resistance and struggling against whenever met with even in today’s world? Why this nagging obsession and shame over who first spells out the F-word?

The Arguments:

Of course, there are some of us (the third wave), who believe feminism today is all about being a true individualist and the lonely road of evolution and self development as opposed to the one of collectivist revolution during the “bra-burning” second wave is the one to take to achieve the desired as well as destined goal. (Though an individualist, too, ultimately puts aims involving the larger mankind at the top of her priority list.)

Then there are those that consider the entire philosophy a western import. (Historically speaking, they are right, too, if you only consider first and second wave western feminism, keeping strictly to mind the western etymology of the word. Forget about prehistory, matrilineal societies, traditional evidence, local history, current sociology and indigenous female heroes across oriental cultures and civilisations, fierce, free and formidable. Forget the fact that third wave feminism is now an universal phenomenon, ... Krishnamurthy is a person of Indian origin.)

And there are still those that rightly criticise culture vultures and fashion feminism for what they stand for and blame so-called social activists, NGOs and talentless “intellectuals” for feeding off the misery of others to conduct a saprophytic existence.

While some even find the use of the word restrictive and confining and feel it implies a sort of insecurity that goes with minority issues. They want a rightful share of the larger realm of things and prefer terminology like cultural anthropologists, sex philosophers, egalitarianists, herstorians and sex scientists for the same.

The Answer:

But there is nothing wrong with yet nothing more capable of still raising hackles generally than use of the so-called F-word. And so long as it remains “controversial”, being a feminist remains relevant, if only in its timeless sense of the “state of being feminine”.

Even the best of them postfeminists are only feminists in the worst of times.