[Reader-list] Oishik Sircar & Abuse of Wome

Sun Jan 20 15:42:08 IST 2008

Dear Kshmendra and all your supporters and back slappers,

You can easily pinpoint Oishik for his outburst of anger and frustration and
then state that because he (mis)directed his anger at Vedavati and company,
he has no right to talk about  the abuse of Manipuri women at the hands of
the Indian state appointed soldiers there. How about for a moment
questioning Lady Chanchal and her remarks and for once again coming back to
the issue that Oishik has tried to raise - the rape of women at the hands of
state appointed army and the manifestations of the state's violence at
women?

Chanchal diverted the topic by once again going back to her pet peeve of
Islam and Muslim and her hang ups of some frozen history that she loves to
imagine. I pointed out to her that it has nothing to do with Hindu-Muslim
populations and Hindu-Muslim army soldiers but a larger question and concern
about women being direct targets of state violence (with that state violence
and injustice also being responsible for the rise of all kinds of other
movements to combat it). I then pointed to Chanchal how I have also been
eve-teased in Srinagar by soldiers. No, they did not come to ask me whether
I was Hindu or Muslim but made lewd remarks simply because I was woman and
bear breasts and bosom on my person. I also want to clarify that it not
about the soldiers themselves, but about the institutions and the systems
that get perpetrated within the structure of the conflict and occupation of
space. Chanchal immediately retorted saying that because I happen to be
"Muslim", I am likely to complain about being eve teased. *What kind of a
patriarchal and discriminatory remark is this?* This does not come to your
attention but Oishik's suggestion of anal stimulation immediately strikes
you and you make claims about the mothers and sisters of the world. You
don't recognize that we have turned this into a battle of whose position is
right and backslapping. In our egostical positions and pride and victimized
states, as Gowhar and others have rightly pointed out, we fail to see who
suffers - children who are beaten by the army, women who are serially raped
and butchered, men whose psyches have been muted by the violences, families
that continue to suffer the losses of their loved ones, etc. and this is not
restricted to Kashmir, but to violence all over the world. But perhaps, you
would brush this aside by exclaiming that these are standard complaints of
Muslims. And then you cleverly subvert every issue, incidence and event to
Kashmir and to Muslims. Clever you!

On this note, having personally known Oishik, I vouch for him as a very
sincere, honest and well-meaning person. One remark of anger and frustration
does not define a person's overall political commitments and thoughts. And
this would apply to my not boxing either of you as good or bad people on the
basis of your positions.

Best,

Zainab

*P.S. Any immediate retort/s to this email will be and ought to be
categorically ignored. *

On Jan 20, 2008 3:05 PM, <radhikarajen at vsnl.net> wrote:

> Well said, with lal salaaam.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
> Date: Sunday, January 20, 2008 2:48 pm
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Oishik Sircar & Abuse of Wome
> To: sarai list <reader-list at sarai.net>
>
> > Oishik
> >
> >  1. Thank you for the suggestion directed to me. It does not
> > interest me. I too have some suggestions for you.
> >
> >  2. You seem to be obsessed with what you have experienced and
> > suggested. You see a lot of merit in it.
> >
> >  3. Charitable soul that you are, you must have promoted it to
> > your circle of family and friends.
> >
> >  4. OISHIT, since there might be others of your kind who might
> > not find your suggestions/language obscene and crude, you must
> > convince them about it. You must provide references for them on
> > the efficacy of your suggestion.
> >
> >  5. So OISHIT, I presume we will get testimonials from your
> > mother, sisters (if any), daughters (if any) and others to whom
> > you must have recommended the stimulation. They certainly would
> > have respected your suggestion. Maybe you even helped them in the
> > processes in the course of convincing them that your suggestion on
> > means to experience pleasure is not abuse. You must mention the
> > role played by you.
> >
> >
> >  Kshmendra Kaul
> >
> >
> >
> > OISHIK SIRCAR <oishiksircar at gmail.com> wrote:
> >  Kshmendra:
> >
> > That was not meant to be an abuse at all... it was meant to
> > suggest a means to experience anal stimulation that can be
> > orgasmic... I have tried it... so suggested that Vedavati do the
> > same... you could also do the same... actually all the HINDUS who
> > are obsessing about nationalism on this listserv should do the
> > same... they'll realise that there are better and more enjoyable --
> > and of course more useful things in life to do than spew virulent
> > intolerance. Suggesting means to experience pleasure is not abuse,
> > I'm sure you'll agree.
> >
> > And I am overwhelmed with the kind of response my comments have
> > attracted -- that's the way to keep the Hindu bullshitters engaged
> > I can clearly see.
> >
> > If you find this mail to be crude and obscene as well -- I
> > would've made my point.
> >
> > Cheers...
> >
> > Oishik
> >
> >  On Jan 19, 2008 3:16 AM, Kshmendra Kaul
> > <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >  It is ironic that Oishik Sircar of all people should bring to
> > the notice of "SARAI" the protest by the women of Manipur against
> > abuse directed at them.
> >
> > Oishik Sircar, just a few weeks back (on Dec 25, 2007 in SARAI)
> > was the one directing abuse towards a woman in the most crude and
> > obscene manner.
> >
> > Wonder what the Faculty of Law at University of Toronto would
> > have to say to/about this hypocritical "Scholar in Women's Rights"
> > (sic).
> >
> > Kshmendra Kaul
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.
> > Try it now.
> > _________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > OISHIK SIRCAR
> >
> > Scholar in Women's Rights
> > Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
> >
> > 60 Harbord Street
> > Room 016 B
> > Toronto, ON M5S 3L1
> >
> > oishiksircar at gmail.com
> > oishik.sircar at utoronto.ca
> >
> > 416.876.7926
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.
> > Try it now.
> > _________________________________________
> > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> > Critiques & Collaborations
> > To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > subscribe in the subject header.
> > To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-
> > list
> > List archive: <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
> _________________________________________
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> Critiques & Collaborations
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