Dear Manu Joseph,

I am 40 years old and a “Woman in the Right Wing”. Other labels that would fit me are entrepreneur, mother to an autie and a rottie and a few more that you might not be interested in. 

I am also a “Social media sanghi”, one who has the misfortune of being hated by both ends of the political spectrum. You, the liberal, hate me for being unabashedly open in my admiration for this country, for laughing at your strident attempts to tell the world that anyone who eats beef in India is dead meat (Couldn’t resist the pun, just so you know I am also what you call a troll). Some people hate me for being insistent, loud, claiming and owning the label without ever having wandered near an RSS Shakha. This moniker apparently now applies to everyone who does not declare their hatred and disdain for Hindutva, is a fan of the Indian Army and does not bleed tears for Gaza or Kashmir.

In your article, http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/mWiYGk5ixlqU99RVvrjGAJ/Women-in-the-rightwing.html you speak of women who support Modi almost as if they were groupies of some rockstar. This is borne of a subconscious assimilation of all those western images- of young women who marry much older men for their power and money, women and children who scream, cry and blab incoherently, asking an actor or singer to marry them. You took those images and imported their essence to India, applied it with broad strokes. 

 In the mad rush to put us in these narrow boxes liberals made -patriarchal, oppressed, slave to tradition, heart-on-sleeve simpleton- they lost perspective about what the Hindu woman is today. Educated, independent and articulate each of us you see as a Modi-groupie is what Swami Vivekananda described in Women of the East as “the ideal woman of the world”. Standing rooted in our traditions, having pride in our roots, a zeal to protect this culture and through it our families and armed with enough ammunition, gumption and intelligence to take on your ilk, in your territory. 

 My first vote was in 1996. The BJP candidate in my constituency in Kerala polled just 6% of the votes, mine being a part of that percentage. Having seen the worst of communism at work in academia, fierce opposition to the anti-hindu rhetoric that they ratcheted up and the tanking of congress coincided with the rise of this genre of politics which called itself Hindu. Refreshing for people like me who have never felt the need to hide or feel apologetic to other denominations for anything.

But wait!! According to you, I just couldn’t have started my adult life with a strong political view not shaped by a crush on someone or a conge from a liberal. And Vajpayee was a bachelor. Naturally, I must have had a massive crush on him back then, which later got transferred to Modi. Only that would fit with your image of a simpering woman without an ounce of substance led wholly by her cheap heartstrings. 

These titles that your kind bestow us, have set me free. I no longer must tread the thin line of political correctness because liberals have made a chutney of that since 2016. 

 You have a Christian name. Follower, believer, not. Doesn’t matter. I could sense that heritage colouring your glasses when you painted RSS with the male monastery brush.  Monasteries are where cloistered priestly men are trained to be the absolute arbitrators of a believer’s path to heaven, gatekeepers of hallowed ground which is the only venue for the date with Christ, shepherds who follow the fisherman’s path and where celibacy is a pre-requisite (imposed yet not adhered to, going by the deluge of scandals that plague clergy). The only common denominator with the RSS’ pracharaks is celibacy, which for them is entirely optional and voluntary.

Such broad oversimplifications being the call of the hour here, I’d like a shot at my own set of them. To stretch your own line of thought just a tiny bit and bring my own strawman to spar with yours. Here goes:

Jesus Christ was a bachelor and was quite an adorable person of the male gender. Is that what made women, thousands when he lived and millions after death, his “fans”? 

In your attempt at tarnishing Modi and BJP’s appeal to all cross sections, women included, illogical and misogynistic thoughts came through. The women who let themselves be interviewed by you probably do not carry the snoot-meter like I do. It would have hooted the café deaf, when you condescendingly pegged women into narrow slots. Or maybe not, considering it wouldn’t have reached his haughtiness riding that high a horse.

That said, I can imagine how your brigade must now be rubbing their hands in glee, planning their next headline. “Demented Modi fan compares him to Jesus”. Having handed you that red herring on a silver salver I humbly conclude!

 Best,

 Padma Pillai