21st century India: This @INCIndia MLA's demand that women be forced to seek parental consent to marry so as not to "hurt sentiments" of parents, is a reminder that BJP's poisonous "love jehad" lie flourishes in a larger climate of social & political hostility to women's autonomy 
In my book, Fearless Freedom, I make the case that violence against the autonomy of women & LGBTQ persons is the most widespread and harmful kind of gender-based violence in India, one that hides in plain sight, masquerading as "safety" & protection. @PenguinIndia @sorcerical
If you are interested in understanding how India got to the point where a ruling party can openly seek to criminalise interfaith marriage with "love jehad" ordinances, if you want to understand how to fight back, do read #FearlessFreedom. (Yes, plugging my research, hard work!)
The Congress MLA's letter are not just a sign of his personal regressiveness - it is symptomatic of the Manuvadi culture that dominates political culture across political divides. That culture is central to the RSS, of course, but its power lies in its appeal beyond RSS ranks
Mahendra Singh Tikait, the late farmers' leader had opposed love marriages saying "Only prostitutes can choose their partners." Another UP farmers' leader, a Muslim, once said (years ago at a rally) that the Government should be subservient to the movement, as wives to husbands
Why do I bring this up now? To remind ourselves that any movement that fails to fight for women's autonomy, fails to fight Islamophobia, is vulnerable at its core to the Government's divide & rule politics of "love jehad" etc.
And no, that doesn't mean we reject movements that fail this test. It means we have to work hard to build these awarenesses and solidarities, engage with those fighting for their own rights, to get them to fight for the rights of others.
Every movement: farmers', workers', Dalits'; students', women's, environmental - needs to openly, clearly fight to end the shackles on women's autonomy, lock, stock and barrel. But this won't happen overnight. We must, however, work at it, in every movement.
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