Talking about the wisdom of our forefathers and ancestors … and talking about the perennial tug-of-war between husbands and wives over an equitable division of labour and chores in the kitchen at home … I’m reminded of what actor Kamal Haasan has promised in his election manifesto . It’s actually his crass election stunt to woo women voters ( thaai kulam) in the state .
Making out a case for women being paid by Government for the housework they do , Haasan has alluded to housewives traditionally being given a raw deal at home since unlike menfolk who get a weekly day off from work at office … women at home get no such privilege since their kitchen duties are 24/7/365 …
Kamal Haasan obviously does not know much about our Dhaarmic history and ethos . … which would never impose an unfair balance of duties and obligations on men and women.
It is inaccurate to say that women at home never got even a day’s respite from their daily routine of kitchen work. Not true at all…
In our Brahmin homes all menfolk are obliged to observe “upavaasam” .. ritual fasting … once every fortnight on “ekadaashi” day . On those days the men are not to be fed at home for the whole day . The women folk used to prepare minimum food only for children and the aged of the house … once … and no more. The kitchen then would be shut down and the women could easily take the whole day off . (In today’s homes there are only nuclear families … and hence the duty to prepare minimal food for the aged and infirm in an extended family even does not arise . )
So , since “Ekadasi” day was designated by our ancient saastra as a day of fasting for men , it automatically became a “day off” twice a month for the women folk. (I’m not going to say anything here about the other obligatory but perhaps anachronistic practice of women taking 3 days off while quarantining themselves during periods) .
Today, for example, is Ekadasi day . If men at home faithfully observed the “upavaasam” enjoined on them by saastra , the women folk would have today as “day off” from kitchen chores …
And you and I could then prove, couldn’t we, that Kamal Haasan’s election promise is nothing but a mischievous stunt … and we might also perhaps persuade our womenfolk .. our respected “thaai kulam “… not to fall for the actor’s wiles and charms ..
The only way Kamal Haasan as might-be CM could ever pay salaries to women for doing housework from out of Government Treasury is to raise tax or levies for sops on all citizens of the state. That would tantamount to robbing the husbands to bribe the wives … an unholy taxation concept on which Kamal Haasan seeks to put a left-liberal holy spin.
He is nothing but a troublemaker for our homes and domestic harmony . Not having himself a great track record of stable and healthy relationships with the many wives he has had in the past …he only tries to sow the seed of discord and disharmony amongst otherwise happily married couples in our homes.
As for Brahmin men … we should all please go back to observing strictly the “Ekadasi Upavaasam. “
🙏🙏
Sudarshan Madabushi