Why Feminism provokes many!

"I support equality, not feminism; feminists are attention-seekers; respect natural law; men are superior; I am not ready for an argument; don't dramatise everything," have you come across any of these opinions? 

 We feel good when discussions happen in the public sphere. They give us scope to understand what people think, how they react and how some things appear the way they are in real life. When we are burdened with our own pressure, we don't see us reacting normally to everything.

We initiate the battle with empty guns. There is nothing much to load. Our ego might tell us to not give up. Many topics trigger a 'virtual/real war. Why did we mention this concept as an 'f word'? Our education levels have grown up. But one area we have not seen much improvement is the 'rights' approach. Men vs women, high caste vs low caste, majority vs minority - we look at them as matters of conflicts. Most times, we take one side. We expect the same from the other end too. 

'Feminichi' is one tagline we hear from Kerala that calls out 'pseudo feminists.' Why are they called fake? It is basically because their actions do not appear legitimate to the majority lot. They think feminists (read 'feminichis') are twisting facts, exaggerating simple things and creating unnecessary issues. 

They will not miss an opportunity to find mistakes about 'feminichis'. They look to clip her wings before letting her fly or testing her limits. Feminists aka feminichis are targeted because their opinions have not found acceptance in mainstream society. That makes people question their claims and ideas. They will come with counter-questions. 'Why do you want to imitate men? Why can't you be yourself? Why do you get into unnecessary debates?'

The people who talk against women are lucky. No questions are asked because their views are aligned with those of the general lot. People find their claims believable because it does not question their general logic. Their opinions come under one roof. Feminism irritates them. They don't want to belive that what they practised is questionable and unsuitable to present world. They become intolerant. To whom? The person who spoke or the idea itself? 

Feminism is one of the most talked-about, yet misunderstood concept in the modern world. In my understanding, feminism is not asking you to give up your privileges or to set up a new social order. This concept wants you to look inwards. This is to let you understand whether you live in a social system where people are treated as people. Feminism is not against anything. It is questioning some social practices. You can discuss it openly in public. It is not to name-shame anyone but to discuss and learn to see things from the other side. 

Any person who stands up for a society of equality and equal rights are endorsing the idea of feminism. But they will either deny or not understand it. Because feminism is an 'f word'. It can provoke many people. It is yet to be a universally accepted idea. But the day is not too far either if you ask me!