• Thursday, March 28, 2024

INDIA

Indian minister regrets ‘upper caste women’ remark

Bisahulal Singh (ANI Photo)

By: Shubham Ghosh

BISAHULAL Singh, a minister in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, has expressed regret over his controversial remarks about upper-caste women and said the confusion caused over his statement could be due to the mixed use of a local dialect and Hindi.

Singh, who is a tribal leader and the state’s food civil supplies and consumer protection minister, said in a programme at the state’s Anuppur district last Wednesday (24) that “women from upper castes should be pulled out of their homes to work in the society”.

“Big people like (upper caste) Thakur, Thakar and some other big people keep their women confined to homes and don’t let them go out while women (of lower strata of society) in our villages work in the field and also do household chores,” Singh said.

“Pull out the women of big people – Thakur from their homes. Will this not make them march ahead?” the minister said.

On Friday (26), Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena staged a protest against Singh over his remarks and set ablaze his effigy near his official residence in Bhopal, the state capital.

Singh later issued a statement clarifying his stand on his remarks saying he had no intention of hurting the Rajputs or any other section of the society in his address at the programme which was to honour women and claimed that some of what he said were misinterpreted.

“Those having the recording of my speech can agree with me if they listen to my speech carefully,” he said.

Singh said he generally speaks to the people of his constituency (Anuppur) in a mixed language, including Hindi and local dialect. Similar language was used by him in this address as well, he said.

“Such an unpleasant situation may have arisen due to mixed language, not pure Hindi. Everyone knows that I represent the tribal class and I was talking to the women of this section about their upliftment,” Singh, a former member of the Indian National Congress who joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party later along with Jyotiraditya Scindia, one of the top leaders from the state, last year.

Singh said if the skilled and educated women of the upper class don’t come forward to work then whom the women of backward society will follow and draw inspiration from.

“There was no other intention and if my statement hurt the sentiments of Rajputs or any other section, I express regret,” he said.

Not many were convinced.

Krishna Bundela, Bhopal district president of Shree Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, had on Friday said the minister’s objectionable remark has hurt the Rajput community. “Our MP organising secretary Shailendra Singh Jhala has directed us to blacken Singh’s face whenever we see him,” he said.

Nearly 300 Karni Sena activists wanted to reach Singh’s residence to protest but they were stopped by the police some distance away, he said.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday (28) said he had warned his ministerial colleague over his controversial remark.

In a statement, he said, “I had just called Bisahulal Singh ji. He has publicly apologised for his statement. Whatever the sentiment, the message should not go wrong. Every word should be spoken carefully. I have warned that such statements should not be given under any circumstances.”

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