- 2 weeks ago
In this episode of Newstrack, the focus is on the outrage following Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s controversial gesture of pulling a woman doctor’s hijab at an official event in Patna.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shaquille.
00:04Tonight, the spotlight is on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
00:09Not for a speech, not for a policy, but for a moment caught on camera.
00:15An on-stage gesture involving a woman doctor's hijab has sparked outrage and raised uncomfortable questions.
00:23For the opposition, it's a vile and shameless act of outraging a woman's modesty,
00:31while his party and its ally claims it's an innocent gesture from a man
00:36who has dedicated his career to the upliftment of Muslim women.
00:43There has been no FIR yet, but a storm is brewing.
00:46Was this a harmless misstep or did power cross a personal boundary?
00:54Because regardless of the place or the person for any woman,
00:59intent matters, consent matters and dignity matters.
01:03Tonight we ask, where do authority and accountability meet?
01:09That's the question on the show tonight.
01:11We have a power-packed panel of women MPs who will be joining me shortly.
01:18But first up, here's what happened today.
01:24Bihar's Chief Minister has crossed the line.
01:29The basic line of personal space.
01:32The line of public decorum.
01:35And the line of respecting choice.
01:37Where you may disagree with something, but respect someone's choice nonetheless.
01:45So here's what really happened.
01:47A visual of the Bihar Chief Minister,
01:49first gesticulating towards the veil of a woman doctor,
01:52then reaching forward and pulling the hijab down, has gone viral.
01:57The action seems to have caught even onlookers off guard,
02:00with Deputy CM Samra Choudhury seemingly reaching out to stop it.
02:04These images from an official event in Patna have sparked widespread outrage,
02:11shock and have spurred a debate on the right to dignity.
02:18All with a heavy dose of political backlash.
02:20This is the Bihar Chief Minister of the Bihar Chief Minister of the Bihar Chief Minister of the Bihar Chief.
02:38In contrast, the ruling JDU defended Nitish Kumar, dismissing the criticism as politically motivated.
03:08To our Prophet Muhammad Sahib's opinion is that his opinion is to teach his own girls and a good life.
03:18If anyone has fulfilled their values, then the name of Shri Nitish Kumar is the victim.
03:24Which is the question of the role?
03:26The question of the people who are against the wife and the women's people,
03:31who have been under the law and have been turned into this act?
03:35However, this incident has reignited broader discussions about the conduct of public figures,
03:42especially those in positions of power.
03:46Some argue that Nitish Kumar's intent was not to disrespect but a sincere attempt to
03:51make a young woman understand that she doesn't need to hide behind a veil.
03:56But this latest incident goes beyond mere politics, raising questions about respect,
04:01consent, and the dignity of women, particularly coming from the highest echelons of power.
04:08Bureau Report, India Today.
04:14Joining me first on the show is Prajita Sarangi, Member of Parliament of the BJP.
04:18Ms. Sarangi, really appreciate your time here on the news track.
04:22Does the BJP view Nitish Kumar's action in this video as disrespectful to the women's
04:28religious choice and personal boundaries, similar to how the party has criticized opposition
04:34leaders for, you know, actions, many would say, which are comparable?
04:41See, we are extremely surprised with the kind of manufactured outrage that has been done.
04:52We are talking of a person who has become the chief minister of Bihar for the 10th time.
05:01We are talking about a person who has endeared himself to the masses so hugely that he has
05:07been able to win 85 seats.
05:10And he's definitely, I can say with all conviction at my command, a favorite of the electorate.
05:16And we are aware of the fact that women in large numbers had come out too from their homes to vote for him.
05:23So I think, Srinitish Kumar ji, if he asks a woman or rather tries to unveil the hijab,
05:31I don't think there's any kind of malicious intent or he's trying to target a particular religious community.
05:38You know, it is just out of his affection. He just wanted the woman who is getting the appointment order,
05:45who is an Ayush practitioner, an educated lady, since she's talented, she's getting the appointment letter,
05:52she should be showing her face to the world, to the camera.
05:56So this is absolutely innocuous action of Honourable Chief Minister of Bihar.
06:01And I think these people who are attaching motives to it should understand.
06:06But what is being seen here is that here is the Chief Minister, yes, he has catered to and nurtured
06:14women in general in Bihar, but this would be seen as outraging a woman's modesty,
06:22that there is a personal boundary which leaders or anybody in public life should not cross.
06:27See, what the kind of spectacles that we wear decides as to what we actually see the world like.
06:39See, here is a deliberate distortion of the image of Honourable Chief Minister.
06:45Basically, the intention is to malign his image.
06:49And here is a Chief Minister who in all these years have worked continuously for girls.
06:55You remember, he has been distributing bicycles for the girls so that, you know,
07:00they are able to carry on with their education in schools and colleges.
07:04And here is a Chief Minister who builds schools for girls and appointed women in public service
07:10and expanded health care access for all communities.
07:13So I think this is absolutely unfortunate to attach any kind of motive to this kind of behaviour of Honourable CM.
07:22Honourable CM must be wanting to ensure that the talented woman who is getting the certificate
07:29must be seen by one and all.
07:32And this is absolutely fine.
07:34This is natural.
07:35I will again call it innocuous.
07:38So I don't think there is any deliberate attempt to outrage the modesty of a woman.
07:43And I think this will be, this will not be less than, you know.
07:51Okay.
07:52Yeah.
07:52This will not be less than thinking not in the right proper direction.
07:56In this video, the Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Chowdhury, is seen intervening in the video.
08:04Then what is the NDA's official stance?
08:06I mean, certainly this was a gesture that made all those who were there on the dais uncomfortable.
08:15Will there be some kind of accountability seeking by the alliance partner that is the BJP?
08:24See, we are making a mountain out of a molehill.
08:27And I can say that there is absolutely no molehill even.
08:32Shreed Chowdhury, who is just behind him, maybe it was a voluntary action on his part,
08:40again with no intent on his part.
08:43And Honourable CM, he is a very senior person.
08:46And he is just trying to ensure that the woman should show her face to the world,
08:50so that, you know, she is getting something very good, a certificate,
08:54or rather an appointment letter.
08:56So I think everybody should see her.
08:58She is an Ayus practitioner.
09:00She is an educated woman.
09:01And I am sure all these people who are creating a ruckus
09:04must know that maybe the woman may not be minding it so much as these people are,
09:11because they have a malicious intent.
09:13You know, that's the subject of a discussion at a later stage.
09:16But Ms. Arangi, your fellow parliamentarians have called this an act of public harassment
09:23by an elected chief minister.
09:30I can only say that they are entitled.
09:33See, I can only say that it is, everybody is entitled to his or her opinion.
09:38And I can only say that the NDA or the Bharati Jarata Party,
09:43I don't think they see any malicious intent in it.
09:49And there is absolutely no targeting of a religion.
09:52In fact, this kind of statement by the people on the other side
09:56is not a dishonour to Honourable CM.
09:59It is a dishonour to the electorate of Bihar,
10:02who have just elected him,
10:05who have just made him the CM of Bihar for the tenth time.
10:08And I reiterate, girls and women came out in large numbers to vote for him.
10:13So I think it is absolutely ridiculous.
10:14Yes, they did, they did.
10:15But questions are also being raised about the overall health condition
10:19of the chief minister of Bihar.
10:23The health condition.
10:26Is he physically and mentally and healthy enough to govern a state?
10:31Not at all, not at all, not at all.
10:33See, not at all.
10:36See, he is absolutely fit and fine.
10:39And he is absolutely in a position to govern the state.
10:43Otherwise, simple as that, you know.
10:45I am a member of parliament from Lok Sabha.
10:48I go for elections.
10:49The electorate will not vote for you.
10:52If they think that you are not in a position to govern.
10:57So imagine he has just been elected
10:59and these kinds of statements are coming.
11:01Maybe it is because of jealousy.
11:02Maybe it is because of envy.
11:04And they are not able to digest his popularity,
11:07digest the fact that he has become the chief minister for the tenth time.
11:10And here is a person who is absolutely sane and fit and fine.
11:14And he is quite happy that he is distributing the appointment letters.
11:17So I don't think let's read unnecessarily between the lines.
11:20There is nothing to be read.
11:22And this is absolutely innocuous behavior.
11:26Okay.
11:27Prajita Sarangi, really appreciate your time.
11:29Thank you for joining us.
11:31Joining me now is Priyanka Chaturvedi,
11:34member of parliament of the Shiva Sena.
11:37Ms. Chaturvedi, you have called this
11:40as an act of public harassment of a woman
11:44by an electorate chief minister.
11:47In clear legal terms,
11:49do you see this as a case of outraging a woman's modesty
11:53and violating her fundamental right
11:55to choose how she dresses in a public or a state-organized event?
12:04Absolutely.
12:05And I stand by what I have said.
12:07It was extremely disturbing for me to watch what he was doing
12:10and what he was indulging in.
12:13And it is not about the religion here, Maria.
12:16Many people have come forward to defend this,
12:19saying that, oh, women should have equal rights.
12:21I mean, she has an equal right.
12:22She was there in the capacity of being a nunani doctor.
12:25And for her to be treated like this,
12:27publicly humiliated like this,
12:28is absolutely unforgivable.
12:30If anyone was to even adjust a dupatta like that,
12:32I would have had a problem.
12:34Because it is absolutely the woman's choice,
12:36how she wants to dress up,
12:37what she wants to wear.
12:38And for anybody to pull her down publicly is unacceptable
12:42and outraging a woman's modesty.
12:46Yes.
12:47You have also campaigned, Ms. Chaturvedi,
12:49against online apps that degrade and humiliate women
12:53of a particular community.
12:55How is a chief minister physically pulling down the hijab
13:00or a niqab of a visibly uncomfortable Muslim women on stage
13:05any less degrading or humiliating?
13:10Oh, absolutely.
13:11Absolutely.
13:12It is just that the sense of respect and sense of dignity
13:16that is due to a woman
13:17and an elected chief minister doing that
13:20under the garb of under this entire garb,
13:22which I'm seeing online when people are trolling me
13:25for taking a stance against it,
13:27that this is about women not being able to,
13:30you know, come out without a burqa, without a hijab.
13:33That's not the case here.
13:34That's her choice.
13:35She's an adult.
13:36It's her choice.
13:37She has chosen to wear a particular set of clothing.
13:39It's none of his business to decide what is good for her,
13:42what is bad for her.
13:43And yes, you're right.
13:44Whether we look at the intersectionality of it all,
13:46as a woman coming from a particular religion,
13:49dressed in a certain way
13:50and being humiliated like this
13:52is absolutely unacceptable.
13:53And yes, I totally stand by what I did
13:55during the Bully by Sully deals app
13:57and what I saw happen at that stage
14:00by the chief minister himself.
14:03Would you then say that this is far more problematic
14:05because the man in question
14:07is a chief minister,
14:10head of a government of a state?
14:13We expect better of them,
14:15a better conduct.
14:19Yes, of course,
14:20anybody who's elected to that position
14:22has taken an oath to the constitution
14:25to treat everybody equally
14:27and to treat everybody with respect and dignity.
14:30What he did was totally define those
14:33and also invading the woman's right
14:35to choose her own agency
14:36and how she wants to dress.
14:38So violating someone's rights,
14:40violating someone's choices,
14:42violating someone's honor
14:44is, I would say,
14:46goes against what a chief minister stands for.
14:49And chief minister should be ensuring
14:50that this is exactly what is maintained
14:52under his watch.
14:54But he himself seems to be violating it.
14:56Now, there are many people saying
14:57that he did it out of good faith,
14:59as a father figure.
15:00I'm sorry,
15:00even a father,
15:01a brother,
15:02an uncle,
15:03the prime minister,
15:04the chief minister,
15:05any cabinet minister,
15:07any member of parliament,
15:08any legislative assembly member
15:09cannot do this
15:10and cannot get away with this behavior
15:12without being called out.
15:15You know,
15:16let me talk about a situation.
15:19If tomorrow this woman says
15:20she's okay with it,
15:22perhaps under pressure
15:23from the very state
15:24that employs her,
15:25what does that tell you
15:26about consent,
15:28power and fear?
15:29And what political opposition
15:30and legal remedies
15:31would you then demand
15:33so that women are not forced
15:35to perform consent
15:37after public humiliation?
15:40You know,
15:42this is something
15:42I even tweeted yesterday
15:44that I wouldn't be surprised
15:45if she's pressurized
15:46to say that she was
15:47absolutely okay with it
15:49and I don't know
15:49why an outrage is being created
15:51because after all,
15:52the outrage
15:52and its consequences
15:53and its fallout
15:54is something for her to bear
15:55and if there is pressure
15:56put on her,
15:57if they make it difficult
15:58for her to work
15:59in the circumstances
16:00she's working
16:01just because it has
16:01embarrassed the chief minister,
16:03it has led to
16:04an international outrage,
16:05then she could be forced
16:06into that.
16:06What it speaks highly of
16:08and it also speaks
16:09smacks of patriarchy
16:10that woman
16:11and people
16:11who have the positions
16:13of power
16:13to pressurize a woman
16:14into silence,
16:15to pressurize her
16:16to, you know,
16:17look the other way,
16:18to ignore
16:19so that she can buy her peace
16:21and this is exactly
16:23what I have been speaking out
16:24throughout my own
16:25political career
16:26that do not stay silent,
16:27speak up
16:28and shout it out loud
16:29because till we don't
16:31call out such behavior,
16:32this kind of behavior
16:33will continue to happen.
16:35Today it's happening,
16:35you know,
16:36we've learned
16:37to normalize this behavior,
16:39we've conditioned
16:39our women to stay silent
16:40in such circumstances
16:42rather than,
16:42you know,
16:43speaking up
16:43and standing up
16:44for their own.
16:45This needs to change
16:46until we don't change that.
16:48We are going to see
16:49such misogyny,
16:50such patriarchy
16:50and such belief
16:51that they can silence
16:52anybody
16:53just because they happen
16:54to be in positions of power.
16:55So I will only urge
16:57if something like that happens,
16:58I will only urge
16:59that the opposition
17:00in Bihar
17:02ensures that the woman
17:03is safe
17:04if she does choose
17:05to speak out
17:05and the woman
17:06at least
17:07is not pressurized
17:09into submission
17:10or silence
17:10or saying that
17:11she's okay with this
17:12because it is absolutely
17:13not okay
17:14for even us
17:14to watch it.
17:15Like I said
17:16at the beginning
17:17of my statement,
17:18it was very disturbing
17:19for me to watch it.
17:22All right,
17:23Priyanka Chazuredi,
17:24really appreciate your time.
17:25Thank you for joining us
17:26and sharing your thoughts.
17:27Joining us now
17:28is Senior Congress Leader
17:30and a Member of Parliament
17:31of the Congress Party,
17:33Rennika Chaudhary.
17:33Ms. Chaudhary,
17:34you have spoken about
17:35IPC provisions
17:36that protect
17:38a woman's dignity
17:38and have said
17:39that anything
17:40that denigrates
17:41her status
17:42is a crime.
17:43Then when a sitting
17:44Chief Minister
17:45publicly pulls down
17:46a woman's niqab
17:47on stage,
17:48does that not fit
17:50in the very definition
17:51of outrading
17:52a woman's modesty
17:53that you often invoke?
17:55Of course it does.
18:01Undoubtedly it does.
18:04These are religious symbols.
18:06You won't do that.
18:08You won't go
18:08and take off
18:09Sardar's kirpan
18:10or his bangle
18:12or his turban.
18:15These are religious symbols
18:16which people adhere to
18:18and respect
18:19in their own faith.
18:20nobody,
18:22nobody is authorized
18:24to behave like that
18:26and to take off the hijab
18:29or lift the hijab
18:30as they labeled it
18:32of any woman.
18:34It is unacceptable.
18:35But having said that,
18:39you know,
18:40Maria,
18:40politics is such a cruel world
18:42and if you go to see it,
18:45Mr. Nitish Kumar
18:46has been showing
18:47patterns of aberration.
18:49I'm not making an excuse
18:51for him,
18:52but he was seen laughing
18:54and, you know,
18:56virtually frolicking
18:58when the national anthem
19:00was playing some time ago
19:01and there have been whispers
19:03in the corridors
19:04about how he doesn't seem
19:07to be in control
19:08of his behavior.
19:11So, if that is the case,
19:13then BJP is, of course,
19:14taking advantage
19:15of a man
19:15who actually needs help
19:17and let them collectively
19:20answer this.
19:21Now, he is the chief minister.
19:23He cannot behave like this.
19:24Well, the BJP says
19:26that he is absolutely fit.
19:27To get him off the hook.
19:29He is absolutely fit and fine
19:31and right man
19:32because he has just
19:33won a massive mandate
19:36in Bihar.
19:37Mr. Audrey,
19:38if anyone in public
19:39had pulled down
19:40a woman's veil,
19:41you know,
19:42we would have called it harassment
19:44and perhaps even
19:45demanded his arrest.
19:46Then why should
19:46the standards of criminality
19:48and accountability
19:49be any different
19:50for Nitish Kumar
19:52just because he is
19:53the chief minister?
19:57It should.
19:58They should be
19:59the same yardstick
20:00because he is also
20:01a citizen of this country
20:03and the law applies
20:05to all.
20:07But I will tell you,
20:08anyone who associates
20:10with the BJP,
20:12somehow their standards
20:13denigrate.
20:15They decline and fall.
20:16If you go to see
20:17what they did
20:18with the Haryana women
20:19medal winners
20:20in the convoluted way
20:22in which they continue
20:24to humiliate them
20:25by bringing the oppressor
20:28back into action
20:29through covert methods,
20:32and they think
20:33that we're all
20:35just blithering idiots
20:36sitting here
20:37and they think
20:38they're so clever
20:39that we don't see
20:40the actual game.
20:42And that's how it is.
20:43If you look at it
20:44nationally
20:45and internationally,
20:47MeToo campaigns
20:48where women have
20:49picked up the courage
20:51to come out
20:52and articulate
20:53and say
20:54because it's not easy.
20:56Women are trapped
20:57in these situations.
20:59And somebody's powerful,
21:00somebody's relative,
21:02you can't say this,
21:02you can't do that.
21:04And at the end of the day,
21:06we continue
21:06to pay the price.
21:08I think it's criminal.
21:11Yesterday,
21:12we were invited
21:13to see a movie
21:14about manual scavengers
21:17and the world
21:18of women
21:19and young girls.
21:21The MP Sanjay Singh
21:22of AAP,
21:24his daughter,
21:24acted in this film.
21:27And,
21:27you know,
21:29I was watching the film
21:30and I said,
21:31my God,
21:32it's like we're running
21:33on a treadmill.
21:34We keep running
21:35and we don't reach anywhere.
21:38The humiliation
21:39that women go through,
21:40they're bought and sold
21:41worse than cattle
21:42or sheep.
21:43We are kept tied.
21:45We are kept,
21:45we are utilized,
21:49raped,
21:50and you have no authority.
21:52You can't even escape it.
21:53Is that what we are about?
21:5575 years later,
21:57where medal winners
21:58are humiliated,
21:59they're willing
22:00to give up their medals
22:01and throw them
22:02into the Yamuna,
22:04but the perpetuator
22:06gets away with it.
22:07Is this what we are about?
22:09That we bring laws.
22:11The ruling government
22:12showed us
22:13how they have
22:13the brute majority
22:14and especially brought
22:16in the women's bill
22:17only to tell us
22:18that it's only a carrot.
22:19You're not going
22:20to be getting it
22:21till the year dot.
22:23And the rules
22:25and everything
22:25seem to circumvent
22:27and only apply
22:28to women.
22:29Anything that we say,
22:31women like us
22:31who speak out,
22:32who talk,
22:33then we are also
22:34humiliated
22:35at different levels.
22:36And there's a great
22:37polarizing of the
22:38boys' club.
22:39Rene Kaur Chowdhury,
22:43my last question
22:44to you,
22:45what will you tell
22:46those who say
22:47that this act
22:48of Bihar chief minister
22:49was not with
22:50some kind
22:51of bad intention?
22:55Excuse me?
22:57How do we decipher
22:59what intention is?
23:00If a chap on the street
23:04did that,
23:06are you willing
23:07to wait
23:07and understand
23:08his intention
23:09before something
23:10else happens?
23:11What then
23:12do they define
23:13as intention?
23:15How are they
23:16going to legislate
23:17his intention?
23:19What do they
23:20mean by intention?
23:22Who's interpreting
23:23his intention?
23:24Then what is it
23:25about?
23:25Let us assume
23:27for one moment
23:28that it's not
23:29a bad intention.
23:31What is it then?
23:32Is he in bad
23:32mental health?
23:35Is he a man
23:35who's not aware
23:36of what he's doing?
23:38He is the
23:38chief minister
23:39and he's one
23:41of the allies
23:41of keeping
23:42the BJP
23:43propped up.
23:45So what are
23:46we trying to say?
23:46So for political
23:47survival,
23:48you don't mind,
23:50you'll sacrifice
23:50women.
23:53What is the
23:53signal we're giving?
23:55How hypocritical.
23:57It's disgusting.
23:59It's downright
24:00abusive.
24:02And for people
24:02who are forced
24:03to stand up
24:04and defend
24:04this action,
24:06good heavens,
24:08where do you
24:09crawl?
24:11It's not
24:12acceptable.
24:13Not by long
24:14chance.
24:16Renika Chaudhary,
24:18thank you for
24:19joining us
24:19and sharing
24:20your views
24:21on what
24:22has drawn
24:23a lot of
24:23reactions
24:24from across
24:26political parties,
24:27also activists,
24:29women in
24:29general,
24:30men in
24:30general,
24:31they have
24:31come out
24:32and expressed
24:33their opinion
24:34on what is
24:35being seen
24:35as extremely
24:36concerning
24:37behavior,
24:38a behavior
24:38which will be
24:39seen as
24:40outrating a
24:41woman's
24:41modesty.
24:42That's all
24:43from me on
24:43this edition
24:44of the
24:44news track.
24:45I'll be
24:45seeing you
24:45tomorrow.
24:45Thanks.
24:46very much.
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