Rocket science and round rotis: War of tweets on ISRO women scientists
What constitutes feminism? Fierce debate breaks out amid gushy praise of sari-clad women space experts
After Chandrayaan-3 successfully made its touchdown on the moon’s surface, visuals of ecstatic ISRO women scientists celebrating their hard-won success were beamed on TV channels and online platforms. These pictures seem to have sparked fierce debates and dialogues online, which have little to do with their intellectual prowess.
It has more to do with their sartorial choice – the 'humble' sari. For, the conversations revolved around how these women scientists epitomised the ultimate feminist and stood for Indian culture. But, there were others who disagreed, saying feminism has nothing to do with choice of clothes.
There were also inspirational messages. "Girls! Take inspiration from these beautiful women. Gol (perfectly round) roti can wait," said one. "Not the gol roti but serving gol moon right on your patriarchy," commented another.
Singer Chinmayi Sripaada took the opportunity to inspire girls, sharing a photo of the women scientists. "Dearest girls," she tweeted. "Pursue your dreams, your career, education and passion."
Six yards of admiration
But X (formerly Twitter) was not all inspiration and salutes. There were harsh words, too.
It all started with users gushing over how the ‘progressive’ ISRO women scientists clad mostly in saris showing ‘sari swag’ were part of the Chandrayaan-3 team. One user got carried away, glowingly describing them as ‘Starries in Sarees’.
Some staunch supporters of the sari got a tad aggressive as one user argued that people who call the sari regressive needed a ‘big tight slap’. Yet another user, carrying a picture of a line-up of ISRO women scientists wearing saris, said that the “next time someone calls saree a regressive attire, ye picture muh pe phenk ke maarna unke” (throw this picture on their face).
Clearly, it was becoming more a salute to saris synonymous with Indian culture, as a user said, “Salute to epitome of Brains in Indian attire”. The sari, not the woman scientists, was under the radar as another X user dived in: “Where there is a saree, there is elegance. Nari Shakthi at ISRO” as a caption to the picture of ISRO women scientists.
The conversation veered towards feminism as well. The ISRO women clad in saris exuded "female power", according to some users. As one user said: “This is what feminism looks like, draped in sarees, women scientists embodied the spirit of Shakti – channelling their inner energy to thrust my India into the space-age spotlight.”
'So Hindu'
The Hindu right-wing brigade was not far behind. One user attacked a TV channel and said it had ‘defamed Hindu tradition of saris' and hence he was sending it the picture of 'ISRO women scientists in sari which makes Bharat pride”.
Somehow, down the line, the praise for ISRO women scientists got tangled with Hindu pride as well. A Twitter user said the ISRO scientists reminded one of a "simple, well-educated Hindu that you meet in family functions". To the user, women scientists in India looked like the ones who flocked to "Varamahalakshmi gettogethers". And, here's the killer, and they seemed: "So much Hindu”.
How ISRO women symbolise all that is seemingly good about Indian/Hindu culture was emphasised thus by another user: “Women scientists of ISRO, all in Indian attire. Sari, gajra, kumkum! Now, anyone says sari is uncomfortable/outdated/regressive, show this!” And another lamented that he doesn’t see Indian women with bindis anymore but it was great to see women scientists doing rocket science and still keeping to Indian culture with saris, bindis, braids and flowers.
The user referred to it as a ‘desi trend’ in these "massively westernised" times. The sari, not the women scientist’s intellect, was under the lens here.
No link to women empowerment
But, some users, however, saw red and slammed the link between ISRO scientists wearing saris to feminism and women’s empowerment.
One user was particularly trolled when she posted that “ISRO woman is someone who the liberal and feminist world cannot understand or cope with." She praised these women in saris, with flowers and big bindi, visiting temples (praying for the success of Chandrayaan-3), even as they specialised in advanced launcher tech, designing radar imagining satellites, mission design and headed several successful missions.
One user strongly hit back, stating that feminism means the freedom to live your life the way you want and not about becoming a scientist or visiting temple or doing both. "Who said liberals and feminists don't visit temples and don't wear sarees? I do that!” said the user, adding that people really need to understand what feminism is.
“Feminism has nothing to do with cultural beliefs or choice of clothes or you think feminist are some kind of jobless women who wear crop tops and jeans and go to clubs to drink everyday?? Stupid,” she lashed out.
While yet another hit out at linking ISRO scientists wearing saris to a debate on feminism. "Women empowerment is not about whether women wear saris or not. It’s about letting them wear what they want without judging them,” said the user.
Why only women?
Yet another user pertinently also criticised the fact that all the responsibility of maintaining culture seems to lie with women. “We would be hard-pressed to find men in veshti, dhoti and lungi at ISRO, won’t we? Also, conveniently ignoring women scientists who are in skirts or pant top so that they don’t interfere in this narrative,” pointed out the user.
Why only South Indians?
Besides the brouhaha over the 'sari trailblazers', X users had a bone to pick with the dominance of South Indians in ISRO. “Though it's a proud moment for us, still I want to know why other state girls not choosing career as a scientist in ISRO. Why only South Indians in ISRO?” asked the user. He did not get any real answers.
On the issue of diversity, one user even mocked the fact that there are no Muslims in ISRO. And, sent a message to Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar that before he makes his next movie Chandrayaan-3, he should remember that there is no Muslim in ISRO doing the namaz nor any woman wearing the burqa.
