Smriti Irani’s Amethi act and the rise of palatable feminism in India

By sporting sindoor, invoking her motherhood, defending Sabarimala, Irani inspires a sense of confidence among Indians while being unapologetically ambitious.

BJP MP Smriti Irani carries slain former village head Surendra Singh during his funeral, Amethi | PTI

Three days after creating history by defeating Rahul Gandhi in his pocket-borough Amethi, Smriti Irani lent her shoulder to carry the corpse of slain BJP worker and her close aide Surendra Singh – a job traditionally reserved for men. For her act, she was admiringly called bold, a trailblazer, a real leader and a politician with a difference.

Social media was buzzing with praise for the 43-year-old politician. Yet, none of her admirers called the act – seeped in symbolism of defiance against a patriarchal tradition – a feminist one.

This is not surprising. While on several occasions, Irani has taken a feminist stand, she too has fallen short of calling herself a feminist.

At the peak of the #MeToo movement in India last year, Irani became one of the only Union ministers to speak up against her notorious party colleague M.J. Akbar. “Women don’t go to work to be harassed. They go to work to live their dreams and earn a respectable living,” she declared emphatically.

But when asked if she would call herself a feminist, Irani was dismissive. “I’m not feminist because considering yourself human is not a sign of feminism but a sign of humanity. Don’t bind anybody in nomenclatures. Nomenclatures are acceptable internationally. But in my country, don’t call me feminist just because I respect women,” she said.

This distancing from the feminist ideology, which is often seen with suspicion by vast sections of society, is not accidental. It is perhaps a deliberate attempt to ensure that even as one speaks up for the causes they believe in, they do not end up alienating an inherently patriarchal society, which still quivers at the mention of the word feminism. It is a textbook example of conservative feminism.

Conservative feminists rarely identify themselves as feminist at all, often believing that feminists must necessarily be irreverent outliers. Liberals, on the other hand, find it impossible to extend the feminist label to someone who swears by social, traditional and conservative family values.

However, feminism actually remains inclusive enough for all women who exercise, allow and aspire for agency. It is not the monopoly of the Left.

Yet, whether or not they embrace the feminist label, conservative feminists enjoy a lot more social acceptability than liberal feminists, especially in India.

By sporting a sindoor at all times, invoking her motherhood in Parliament to corner the opposition, and calling herself a “simple housewife, mother of two kids” who toppled the Congress giant in Amethi – Irani inspires a sense of confidence among Indians while being unapologetically ambitious. She has all the ingredients to be the good, virtuous and socially acceptable feminist.

She is not the career-driven woman who would destroy the family and social fabric for the sake of power. She knows the fine art of balancing her professional and personal lives. She will use all her might to trounce over the enemy, but will readily embrace her socially defined role of the ‘good’ mother, ‘good’ wife and ‘good’ woman. The society does not frown upon this kind of female ambition. It cherishes it and patronises it.

So, when Irani pushes the envelope for women by performing the last rites of her aide, she is unlikely to be rebuked for disrespecting Indian culture. For, remember how emphatically she spoke in defence of religious values and culture when the Sabarimala debate was raging in the country – going as far as to call the act of menstruating women entering the temple “desecration”? A woman who so virtuously defends the Hindu tradition cannot suddenly become a threat to it.

At a time when liberals confront several dilemmas as they seek to make space for themselves in an increasingly conservative Indian society, liberal feminists must acknowledge the rise of the conservative feminist on the political and social landscape. Without acknowledgement and dialogue with the conservative feminist, the liberal feminist could risk becoming redundant.