Voices & Faces

Jana dutta kamble

I saw Jana Kamble one morning, fighting on the main road with her husband. I wasnt sure if she wanted me around so i drove slowly past without stopping. She waved out to me cheerfully prompting me to stop. "Ah Laxmibai! Good you came!" Dutta, her husband, said. Although he was visibly irritated a moment ago, he smiled at me sheepishly.

"I know that all of you from KKPKP say men shouldn′t drink and hit their wives, and you can check with Jana, i have stopped doing that for some months now", looking in her direction for affirmation, which she readily gave. "But, dont you think this is going a bit too far, when i ask her where is my dabba (lunch) nowadays, she turns round and says in Laxmiba′i s house her husband cooks, why cant you do it yourself."

With a wide smile growing wider Jana said "Now since he is asking you, do answer honestly. We both work long hours, we both earn, just like the two of you....So if Rabi cooks in your house, dont you think he should be doing the same in ours?"

Why would i ever refute such strong, clear, honest feminism