Comments on: In Conversation: Dr Gail Omvedt

By: Krishnan Boopathy

Krishnan Boopathy — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:29:48 +0000

i am very much interest to join in your party. What can i do please reply me immidiately.

By: Dalit Nation

Dalit Nation — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:44:41 +0000

Dear Madam,
We have great appreciation for your work. We at Dalit Nation inspired by Babasaheb Ambedkar are waging a battle against casteism and Manuwad in our soceity. Please go through some of our articles and links. Dalit Nation is the most widely read website on Dalit issues in the internet. You have clearly identified the problem which Dalits face in India – it is Hindutva. We plan to do a feature in our website the good work done by yourself.

http://dalitnation.wordpress.com/

Keep up the good work
Warm Regards,
Editor
Dalit Nation

By: High Priestess

High Priestess — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:33:12 +0000

“Jayalalitha who is from the upper caste and was also a chielf minister has danced in Bikinis in her movies. ”

Are you serious?

I had no idea.

She looks like she weighs over 300 pounds now.

I’d love to see her when she was young and in a bikini.

Any pics?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:29:49 +0000

Gail Omvedt’s feminism is a facade to Hindu- baiting and bashing. Any reason is good enough for her. Like Mayavathi’s hair style which is absolutely irrelevant. Jayalalitha who is from the upper caste and was also a chielf minister has danced in Bikinis in her movies. What about it. As a matter of fact the so called upwardly mobile upper caste women have less social restrictions than the so called dalits. Gail’s writing is full of silly generalizations and demonazation of vast majorities of people. A typical pseudo intellectual, a hate monger hiding behind the viel of feminism and progressive ideologies.

By: High Priestess

High Priestess — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:39:49 +0000

I agree with Suresh on the silly generalizations and theorizations of Gail. And whats with her comment that ALL Hindu goddess are black?

She’s fighting for a good cause but it would be more credible if people who are in the public eye and seen as “representatives” of sorts would educate themselves a bit more on the cultural aspects of the people they are supposedly “representing”. Either that or just remain silent on things they don’t know anything about.

By: irene diamond

irene diamond — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:36:31 +0000

Gail is an old friend and I don’t seem to have her current e-mail address. If you could supply it I would be most grateful

Thanks

Irene Diamond

By: bombaydosti

bombaydosti — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:32:56 +0000

“Caste can only survive if women’s sexuality is controlled”

I wonder how almost all of power distances in society are reaffirmed by how women are/were treated.
To me, this linkage was a new perspective.
Insightful interview! thanks

By: suresh

suresh — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:05:51 +0000

kuffir,

true regarding congress support – that was a deliberate political strategy, it used to be known as KHAM (Kshatriya-Harijan-Adivasi-Muslim) – but I don’t think hair length was ever an issue with the upper caste voters either. Those in the upper castes who voted against IG did so on grounds other than hair length – at least, that’s my understanding. Incidentally, a significant chunk of upper castes did vote for her, I think. If you have evidence to the contrary, I’d appreciate your sharing it with me.

I really have no idea why Ms. Omvedt had to resort to what I still consider to be rather silly theorisiing. But yes, this is rather an unimportant issue and not worth bothering about and so I’ll leave you to have the final word.

By: kuffir

kuffir — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:58:35 +0000

suresh,

yes, ms.omvedt might be focussing on a not-too-significant issue, but i don’t think she was talking about the approval of the upper caste men in the parties you mention.. she probably meant the acceptance of the lower caste voters.. in most of the states that the congress still manages to be a dominant player, it survives mostly on votes from the same sections- lower caste voters who didn’t mind indira gandhi’s short hair, and who don’t mind sonia gandhi’s not-too-long hair.

By: suresh

suresh — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:00:08 +0000

Ms. Omvedt says:

I said “upper-caste” Hindu women politicians couldn’t get away with short hair but Dalits didn’t mind — I was thinking of Sushma Swaraj and all — she [Madhu Kishwar] denied it, but I still feel I am right.

Generalising from a sample size of one, eh? Never a good idea.

Did Ms. Omvedt check whether Indira Gandhi had long hair or short hair? The Wikipedia article on her has a number of photographs dating to when she was very young; in all of them she has short hair. So what conclusions are we to draw from this? That Indira Gandhi was a Dalit? Or that Mayawati is upper caste? Can Ms. Omvedt point me to an election where the length of Indira Gandhi’s hair was a significant electoral issue?

This is silly theorising – if I may say so. I am willing to concede that it would be very unlikely to find women with short hair in the BJP. That’s all. But then not all upper caste women are in the BJP. Neither, for that matter, are all upper caste men. And actually, some Dalits – men and women – are in the BJP.