• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Login
NRI Affairs
Youtube Channel
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
NRI Affairs
No Result
View All Result
Home Views

Oppression is my enemy

Kedar Anil Gadgil by Kedar Anil Gadgil
February 9, 2022
in Views
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
Oppression is my enemy

Image: provided

150
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Advertisements

Kedar Anil Gadgil recommends we follow Periyar’s excellent advice for calibrating our moral compass and focus on oppression being the enemy and standing with the oppressed, whoever and wherever in the world they may be.

I stand with the oppressed.

In the hijabi girl vs her school, where the school wants to enforce a dress code on her, I stand with the girl.

In the hijabi girl vs her family/religion, where the family/religion wants to enforce a dress code on her, I stand with the girl.

The crucial point for me is not the hijab. It is the freedom of the individual and the pressure of oppression to confirm that the individual must be given the strength (by us, the lovers of freedom and liberty) to resist.

If I were her friend, I’d first stand with her against the school authorities and the mob of bigots she has to face at the gate.

Then, and only after that battle has been fought and won, I’d speak to her about the oppressive clothing her religion and her family has conditioned her to wear.

Unfortunately, the second is best done from within the community, even if people who are not Muslims or ex-Muslims, who have no dog in the fight, can opine on it. I have always believed that the oppressed, if they wish to change the circumstances they were born into, have to fight their own fight. We outsiders can at best be allies.

Advertisements

Hindus needed a Raja Ram Mohun Roy, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, Dhondo Keshav Karve, Jyotiba Phule, and a Bhimrao Ambedkar to kick-start their reforms (with the word ‘kick’ being quite literal in some cases). Despite their best efforts and numerous laws and impositions, neither the Muslim Mughals nor the Christian British could really change society. It needed people from the inside to see the problem, decide to do something about it, and actually make it happen (even to the extent of denouncing and leaving their religion).

Do the Muslims need reforms? For sure.

Is the hijab a symbol of patriarchal oppression? Yes.

Do we need a movement that removes this ill from society? Of course.

All I say is that it must come from within. Anything we impose from outside will be opposed purely because it is imposed, no matter its intrinsic value. I am, of course, not speaking of barbaric practices like FGM and child marriages. Those must be legislated. But even for that, the opposition to such practices must start from within the community. No one has, since the Roman Empire collapsed, managed to change the religious or cultural beliefs of an entire population from outside and by fiat, and even then, it took about 400 years and much violence before the needle moved.

So, what can we do?

We can follow Periyar’s excellent advice for calibrating our moral compass and focus on oppression being the enemy and standing with the oppressed, whoever and wherever in the world they may be. You will get clarity in thought and all other issues will melt away once you adopt this perspective.

Follow NRI Affairs on Facebook and Twitter for latest updates. Support us on Patreon.

A viral folksong pierces the fog of Indian social media
Share60Tweet38Send
Kedar Anil Gadgil

Kedar Anil Gadgil

Kedar Anil Gadgil is a startup and entrepreneurship consultant, currently based in Pune. His business expertise is in fields as wide-ranging as technology, trading, media, pharmaceuticals, aviation, luxury realty, finance, retail, hospitality, FMCG, and manufacturing. An avid golfer and an animal lover, he is also interested in food, politics, and reading. You can see more about Kedar on https://about.me/kedargadgil.



Related Posts

NRI custody issue: Gujarat high court orders father to send children back to mother in New Zealand
Views

OPINION: How Hindutva ecosystem distorts the truth

January 17, 2023
OPINION: Despicable Display of ‘Dormant Manliness of Hindus’ During a California Webinar on India’s Citizenship Laws
Views

OPINION: Despicable Display of ‘Dormant Manliness of Hindus’ During a California Webinar on India’s Citizenship Laws

December 19, 2022
What India’s Universal Periodic Review Means for the Quad
Views

What India’s Universal Periodic Review Means for the Quad

December 2, 2022
Next Post
Six India-based call centers and their directors indicted by US authorities for phone scams

Six India-based call centers and their directors indicted by US authorities for phone scams

Indian citizenship

4,844 foreigners became Indian citizens in last five years: Government

Dane Tehan

'A potential game-changer ': Australian Minister for Trade Dan Tehan travels to India

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Ganesha

Lord Ganesha ‘hammered in the head’ in a Telegraph cartoon angers Indian-Australians

2 years ago
pexels anna shvets 5953828

कोई दुख न हो तो बकरी ख़रीद लो

2 years ago
Mukul Arya was a 2008-batch IFS officer

‘Deeply shocked’: Indian diplomat, Mukul Arya found dead inside the mission in Palestine

11 months ago
Reema Monga

‘Reema Monga’s sudden death has left us shattered’: Friends raising funds to repatriate model’s mortal remains

1 year ago

Categories

  • Literature
  • Multimedia
  • News
  • nriaffairs
  • Other
  • People
  • Top Stories
  • Uncategorized
  • Views
  • Visa

Topics

Air India Australia california Canada caste CECA COVID COVID-19 cricket ECTA Europe free trade FTA Geeta Germany Hindu Human Rights immigration India india-australia Indian Indian-origin Indian Students London Melbourne Migration Modi Muslim New Zealand NRI NSW oci passport quarantine Singapore Sydney travel UAE uk Ukraine US USA Victoria visa women
NRI Affairs

© 2021 NRI Affairs.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other

© 2021 NRI Affairs.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT