Tamil Actress Persecuted For Saying Premarital Sex Okay for Women

[Guest guest]

A tempest is brewing in Tamil Nadu over a famous actress's apparently

innocuous remarks that safe premarital sex is okay for women. Here is

a series of short articles tracing how the controversy has escalated:

 

TAMIL ACTRESS APPREARS IN COURT

 

New Delhi, 16 November: A leading Tamil film actress in the eye of a

storm for her remarks on pre-marital sex by women, Khushboo

surrendered yesterday to a court in Tamilnadu, even as irate Pattali

Makkal Katchi(PMK) and Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) activists threw

rotten eggs and chappals at her car.

 

She made the controversial remarks in an interview to a magazine

while fielding questions on AIDs awareness.

 

Her comment that there is nothing wrong in women having pre-marital

sex as long as it is 'protected' sex invited the instant wrath of

women in predominantly conservative Tamil society.

 

Soon the storm took political overturns with Pattali Makkal Katchi

also lending its support to the campaign against Khushboo. Sensing

trouble, the actress rushed home from Singapore where she was at the

time storm broke out and tendered an open apology to her fans and

women in particular.

 

Her apology did not subside the issue. A case was also filed against

her.

 

Suhasini, a top actress and wife of award winning director

Manirathnam, was the only leading Tamil film personality to come

openly in support of Khushboo. She even took to task the critics of

her fellow star and immediately she ran into the raging controversy.

 

Suhasini used the forum provided by the second International Film

Festival in Chennai to come out in defence of Khushboo.

 

Yesteryears star Manorama, directors Seeman, Keyaar, and V C

Guganathan, criticised Suhasini, 'She (Suhasini) has brought shame to

the Tamil people'.

 

http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=16153

http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=53779

 

ACTRESS SUNASINI WITHDRAWS SUPPORT UNDER PRESSURE

 

CHENNAI, NOV 15 (PTI) In a sudden U-turn, Tamil actress Suhasini, who

had defended film star Khushboo's remarks on pre-marital sex, today

expressed regrets for her comments and wanted the entire episode to

be treated as a "bad dream".

 

"Please treat the entire episode as a bad dream," she said in a "self-

explanation," to South Indian Film Artistes Association President

Vijaykant and General Secretary R Sarath Kumar, two days after

cautioning Kumar not to send her any communication in this regard.

 

Vijaykant and Kumar said Suhasini's explanation would be considered

by the association.

 

"We only request all association members to be careful in speaking to

the press at functions," they said adding, no one should make remarks

which would hurt the feelings of others in future.

 

Suhasini, in her letter, according to the release, said her

remarks "have brought the association into a difficult situation. My

views should not affect the association in any manner. Any adverse

impact of the remarks should be borne by me only and not by

association members," she said.

 

On November 13, Sarath Kumar had sent a letter to Suhasini seeking an

explanation for her defence of Khushboo.

 

Despite coming under attack, Suhasini had reiterated her support for

Khushboo in the last couple of days.

 

Meanwhile, an effigy of Suhasini was set ablaze by members of the

Sarath Kumar Fans association in Vellore today but no arrests were

made, police said.

 

http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/nov/15tn.htm

 

INDIAN & FOREIGN CELEBRITIES SUPPORT KHUSHBOO

 

NEW DELHI, NOV 16 (PTI): Celebrities including Miss Universe Natalie

Glebanova of Russia today lent their support to much harassed Tamil

actress Kushboo whose remarks on pre-marital sex have caused a

furore.

 

The 35-year-old actress had invited the wrath of several parties in

Tamil Nadu following her comments in an interview to a vernacular

magazine that there was nothing wrong with pre-marital sex as long as

it was practised safely.

 

Glebanova, as also Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan and tennis

sensation Sania Mirza, found there was much ado about nothing in the

whole episode.

 

The trio were in city to speak at 'Hindustan Times Leadership Summit'.

 

While the Russian beauty queen was puzzled by an alien cultural

issue, Karthikeyan was more forthright.

 

"South India is a closed society. There was nothing wrong in what she

(Khushboo) said. It has spiralled into a big issue unfortunately, it

is more of a media thing," the first Indian to race in Formula One

said.

 

Glebanova did not make a direct comment on the issue but advocated

what Khushboo had said in her interview.

 

"I had stressed on three main things regarding AIDS awareness (in my

speech) ... One is practising safe sex," the Russian said. "Nobody

can stop you from having sex, but protect yourself and others."

 

Sania, the first Indian to win a WTA Tour title, was quick to grasp

the sensitivity of the issue.

 

"So there are two issues here -- safe sex and sex before marriage,"

the 19-year-old said.

 

"You don't want me to tell you that you have to have safe sex,

whether it is before or after marriage. Everyone must know what he or

she is doing."

 

http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=335396

 

OVERSEAS LANKAN TAMILS HAN TAMIL NADU STARS

 

Colombo, November 15, 2005: Sri Lankan Tamils living in Europe and

North America have decided not to distribute or see films featuring

Khushboo and Suhasini Manirathnam on the grounds that they had

insulted Tamil women. They have also warned that they will agitate

against the screening of films made by director Manirathnam.

 

This is the latest development in the raging controversy over

Khushboo's statement that there was a high prevalence of pre-marital

sex among women in Tamil Nadu.

 

The ban and the warning were announced by the "European and North

American Film Fans Association" and the latter's statement was

reported at length in the pro-LTTE website www.puthinam.com on Monday.

 

Suhasini Manirathnam, actress and wife of director Manirathnam, had

jumped into the fray recently defending Khushboo's right to express

herself on this question. But what had really irked the Overseas Sri

Lankan Tamils was the use of a derogatory expression by Suhasini to

mean that Tamil women were not pure as driven snow, and therefore,

hardly qualified to censure Khushboo.

 

"Have Tamil women grown horns?" Suhasini asked rhetorically at a

meeting in Chennai recently, referring to the hullabaloo over

Khushboo's remarks. The Tamil expression "growing horns" is a

derogatory one, signifying pretentiousness in the absence of

qualifications, an aspersion of inferiority.

 

'Non-Tamils' warned

 

The Sri Lankan Tamil association's statement also saw the issue

as "Tamil vs Non Tamil" one. It described Suhasini as a "non-Tamil".

Suhasini is a Tamil Brahmin, but the Tamil nationalist movement in

both Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka does not consider Tamil Brahmins as

Tamils but as remnants of the Aryan or non-Tamil invasion of the

South India some 5,000 years ago.

 

Khushboo, of course, is a Non-Tamil, an Urdu-speaking Muslim Pathan

from Mumbai, to be precise.

 

The statement accused Suhasini of thinking that the Tamils

were "slaves" and described her remarks as "barbaric". She had

insulted "6.5 crore" Tamils, it said.

 

If Suhasini did not apologise to the Tamil people, the world Tamils

would agitate against the screen of films made by Manirathnam also,

the statement warned. It also said that Tamil Nadu film makers should

give only Tamil names for their films. This follows an on-going

movement in Tamil Nadu led by the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the

Vidhuthalai Siruthaigal (Liberation Leopards) to Tamilise commercial

name boards and titles of films.

 

The Overseas Tamils' statement warned Tamil Nadu film makers and

stars not to take them lightly because the overseas market was a

substantial source of income for the Chennai film industry.

 

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7598_1546766,000500020002.htm

[Guest guest]

This brings to my mind something Amma has said:

 

"The rules and superstitious beliefs that degrade women continue to

prevail in most countries. The primitive customs invented by men in

the past to exploit and to subjugate women remain alive to this day.

Women and their minds have become entangled in the cobweb of those

customs. They have been hypnotized by their own minds. ...

 

Look at an elephant. It can uproot huge trees with its trunk. When

an elephant living in captivity is still a baby, it is tied to a

tree with a strong rope or chain. Because it is the nature of

elephants to roam free, the baby elephant instinctively tries with

all its might to break the rope. But it isn't strong enough to do

so. Realizing its efforts are of no use, it finally gives up and

stops struggling. Later, when the elephant is fully grown, it can be

tied to a small tree with a thin rope. It could then easily free

itself by uprooting the tree or breaking the rope. But because its

mind has been conditioned by its prior experiences, it doesn't make

the slightest attempt to break free.

 

"Anyone--man or woman--who has the courage to overcome the

limitations of the mind can attain the state of universal

motherhood. The love of awakened motherhood is the love and

compassion felt not only towards one's own children, but towards all

people, animals and plants, rocks and rivers--a love extended to all

of nature, all beings. ... This love...is Divine Love--and that is

God."

 

 

 

 

, "Devi Bhakta"

<devi_bhakta> wrote:

>

> A tempest is brewing in Tamil Nadu over a famous actress's

apparently

> innocuous remarks that safe premarital sex is okay for women. Here

is

> a series of short articles tracing how the controversy has

escalated:

>

> TAMIL ACTRESS APPREARS IN COURT

>

> New Delhi, 16 November: A leading Tamil film actress in the eye of

a

> storm for her remarks on pre-marital sex by women, Khushboo

> surrendered yesterday to a court in Tamilnadu, even as irate

Pattali

> Makkal Katchi(PMK) and Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) activists

threw

> rotten eggs and chappals at her car.

>

> She made the controversial remarks in an interview to a magazine

> while fielding questions on AIDs awareness.

>

> Her comment that there is nothing wrong in women having pre-

marital

> sex as long as it is 'protected' sex invited the instant wrath of

> women in predominantly conservative Tamil society.

>

> Soon the storm took political overturns with Pattali Makkal Katchi

> also lending its support to the campaign against Khushboo. Sensing

> trouble, the actress rushed home from Singapore where she was at

the

> time storm broke out and tendered an open apology to her fans and

> women in particular.

>

> Her apology did not subside the issue. A case was also filed

against

> her.

>

> Suhasini, a top actress and wife of award winning director

> Manirathnam, was the only leading Tamil film personality to come

> openly in support of Khushboo. She even took to task the critics

of

> her fellow star and immediately she ran into the raging

controversy.

>

> Suhasini used the forum provided by the second International Film

> Festival in Chennai to come out in defence of Khushboo.

>

> Yesteryears star Manorama, directors Seeman, Keyaar, and V C

> Guganathan, criticised Suhasini, 'She (Suhasini) has brought shame

to

> the Tamil people'.

>

> http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=16153

> http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=53779

>

> ACTRESS SUNASINI WITHDRAWS SUPPORT UNDER PRESSURE

>

> CHENNAI, NOV 15 (PTI) In a sudden U-turn, Tamil actress Suhasini,

who

> had defended film star Khushboo's remarks on pre-marital sex,

today

> expressed regrets for her comments and wanted the entire episode

to

> be treated as a "bad dream".

>

> "Please treat the entire episode as a bad dream," she said in

a "self-

> explanation," to South Indian Film Artistes Association President

> Vijaykant and General Secretary R Sarath Kumar, two days after

> cautioning Kumar not to send her any communication in this regard.

>

> Vijaykant and Kumar said Suhasini's explanation would be

considered

> by the association.

>

> "We only request all association members to be careful in speaking

to

> the press at functions," they said adding, no one should make

remarks

> which would hurt the feelings of others in future.

>

> Suhasini, in her letter, according to the release, said her

> remarks "have brought the association into a difficult situation.

My

> views should not affect the association in any manner. Any adverse

> impact of the remarks should be borne by me only and not by

> association members," she said.

>

> On November 13, Sarath Kumar had sent a letter to Suhasini seeking

an

> explanation for her defence of Khushboo.

>

> Despite coming under attack, Suhasini had reiterated her support

for

> Khushboo in the last couple of days.

>

> Meanwhile, an effigy of Suhasini was set ablaze by members of the

> Sarath Kumar Fans association in Vellore today but no arrests were

> made, police said.

>

> http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/nov/15tn.htm

>

> INDIAN & FOREIGN CELEBRITIES SUPPORT KHUSHBOO

>

> NEW DELHI, NOV 16 (PTI): Celebrities including Miss Universe

Natalie

> Glebanova of Russia today lent their support to much harassed

Tamil

> actress Kushboo whose remarks on pre-marital sex have caused a

> furore.

>

> The 35-year-old actress had invited the wrath of several parties

in

> Tamil Nadu following her comments in an interview to a vernacular

> magazine that there was nothing wrong with pre-marital sex as long

as

> it was practised safely.

>

> Glebanova, as also Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan and

tennis

> sensation Sania Mirza, found there was much ado about nothing in

the

> whole episode.

>

> The trio were in city to speak at 'Hindustan Times Leadership

Summit'.

>

> While the Russian beauty queen was puzzled by an alien cultural

> issue, Karthikeyan was more forthright.

>

> "South India is a closed society. There was nothing wrong in what

she

> (Khushboo) said. It has spiralled into a big issue unfortunately,

it

> is more of a media thing," the first Indian to race in Formula One

> said.

>

> Glebanova did not make a direct comment on the issue but advocated

> what Khushboo had said in her interview.

>

> "I had stressed on three main things regarding AIDS awareness (in

my

> speech) ... One is practising safe sex," the Russian said. "Nobody

> can stop you from having sex, but protect yourself and others."

>

> Sania, the first Indian to win a WTA Tour title, was quick to

grasp

> the sensitivity of the issue.

>

> "So there are two issues here -- safe sex and sex before

marriage,"

> the 19-year-old said.

>

> "You don't want me to tell you that you have to have safe sex,

> whether it is before or after marriage. Everyone must know what he

or

> she is doing."

>

> http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=335396

>

> OVERSEAS LANKAN TAMILS HAN TAMIL NADU STARS

>

> Colombo, November 15, 2005: Sri Lankan Tamils living in Europe and

> North America have decided not to distribute or see films

featuring

> Khushboo and Suhasini Manirathnam on the grounds that they had

> insulted Tamil women. They have also warned that they will agitate

> against the screening of films made by director Manirathnam.

>

> This is the latest development in the raging controversy over

> Khushboo's statement that there was a high prevalence of pre-

marital

> sex among women in Tamil Nadu.

>

> The ban and the warning were announced by the "European and North

> American Film Fans Association" and the latter's statement was

> reported at length in the pro-LTTE website www.puthinam.com on

Monday.

>

> Suhasini Manirathnam, actress and wife of director Manirathnam,

had

> jumped into the fray recently defending Khushboo's right to

express

> herself on this question. But what had really irked the Overseas

Sri

> Lankan Tamils was the use of a derogatory expression by Suhasini

to

> mean that Tamil women were not pure as driven snow, and therefore,

> hardly qualified to censure Khushboo.

>

> "Have Tamil women grown horns?" Suhasini asked rhetorically at a

> meeting in Chennai recently, referring to the hullabaloo over

> Khushboo's remarks. The Tamil expression "growing horns" is a

> derogatory one, signifying pretentiousness in the absence of

> qualifications, an aspersion of inferiority.

>

> 'Non-Tamils' warned

>

> The Sri Lankan Tamil association's statement also saw the issue

> as "Tamil vs Non Tamil" one. It described Suhasini as a "non-

Tamil".

> Suhasini is a Tamil Brahmin, but the Tamil nationalist movement in

> both Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka does not consider Tamil Brahmins as

> Tamils but as remnants of the Aryan or non-Tamil invasion of the

> South India some 5,000 years ago.

>

> Khushboo, of course, is a Non-Tamil, an Urdu-speaking Muslim

Pathan

> from Mumbai, to be precise.

>

> The statement accused Suhasini of thinking that the Tamils

> were "slaves" and described her remarks as "barbaric". She had

> insulted "6.5 crore" Tamils, it said.

>

> If Suhasini did not apologise to the Tamil people, the world

Tamils

> would agitate against the screen of films made by Manirathnam

also,

> the statement warned. It also said that Tamil Nadu film makers

should

> give only Tamil names for their films. This follows an on-going

> movement in Tamil Nadu led by the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and

the

> Vidhuthalai Siruthaigal (Liberation Leopards) to Tamilise

commercial

> name boards and titles of films.

>

> The Overseas Tamils' statement warned Tamil Nadu film makers and

> stars not to take them lightly because the overseas market was a

> substantial source of income for the Chennai film industry.

>

> http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7598_1546766,000500020002.htm

>