
Asking why Pahalgam women survivors didn't fight back demeans all women
These women were not the 'Veeranganas' they were expected to be, Jangra alleged. 'Veerangana ka bhaav nahin tha, josh nahin tha, jazba nahin tha, dil nahin tha,' Jangra said. He wished they had been like Ahilyabai Holkar, the queen of Malwa, who ruled wisely in the 18th century and also led her army into battle.
Jangra obviously expected these unsuspecting women to suddenly fight like Holkar or Rani Laxmibai, both of whom had commandeered their armies. But these women were in Pahalgam, peacefully holidaying, some of them newly married and on their honeymoon, when the terrorists suddenly struck and killed the men after ascertaining their religion.
Jangra, a Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana, believes the tourists should have fought back and repulsed the terrorists, who were armed with the latest weapons and had presumably done the recce of the area for several days before choosing the site and their unsuspecting targets.
Going by the argument that Jangra has advanced, should every Indian woman get gun training so as to be bravehearts – for you don't know when you will need it to protect yourself and your family!
What Jangra does not talk about is that it is the Indian State's fundamental duty to provide safety and security to all its citizens, including women. Nor did Jangra exhort the government's intelligence machinery or the security forces to be more vigilant – and efficient. Instead, he chose to point out the fundamental duties of the women present.
This then is the question many women are asking today: What do you, Mr Jangra, know about the courage that these women displayed in the face of a barbaric attack at Pahalgam – and will be called upon to display for the rest of their lives? Do you know the pain — and bravery– it takes to live with the trauma of seeing your husband, son or brother shot point blank, to watch them bleed to death in front of your eyes, and have no recourse available to prevent their death?
What is more, by blaming the women for the death of their menfolk, Jangra was diminishing the magnitude of the senseless killings on April 22, the sponsorship of terror by Pakistan, and the use of terror as a weapon to settle scores in this day and age – which the Indian government has been emphasising.
Jangra made his remarks at a time that seven high-level, multi-party delegations are out mobilising global opinion against terrorism and its backers. Any shift of focus away from the fact that the terror attack originated in Pakistan is likely to dilute the impact of the government's own carefully crafted initiative.
There are those who believe that Jangra's words are only a diversionary tactic. With the Opposition stepping up its demand that the government answer questions thrown up by Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor, and call a special session of Parliament to do so, is Jangra trying to divert attention from the 'main muddas (issues)'?
His words also reveal a mindset holding a deep prejudice against women — that ultimately it is they who are at fault for everything that goes wrong around them and must own the final responsibility.
This mindset has no place in the India of 2025. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged leaders at the NDA meeting on Sunday to not 'speak out of turn' about Operation Sindoor. Not long ago, it was a minister in the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, Vijay Shah, who referred to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as a 'sister' of Pakistan.
The two women from the armed forces, Col Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh had been fielded by the government to play the lead role in informing the nation about Operation Sindoor, to the pride of many in the country. Had timely action been taken against Shah – he was even rebuked by the
Supreme Court for his communal comments – Jangra may have thought twice before speaking out the way he did.
Over the years, the PM has expressed his commitment to women's empowerment through the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' programme, to women-led development, and to the safety and security of the last woman in the country as her due. That doesn't square with a BJP MP getting away with accusing the widows of Pahalgam of cowardice, and at a time when teams of MPs, non-MPs and security experts have fanned out to world capitals in a major government outreach against terror, of which India was a victim.
It compelled the PM to speak powerfully about Operation Sindoor , of 'hot sindoor' coursing through his veins – as a commitment to avenge the death of 26 innocent men, and to bring their families some semblance of justice.
But then, words which humiliate the widows of Pahalgam surely call for action which goes beyond a mere warning – and sends a salutary 'enough is enough' signal to all? And to the likes of Ram Chander Jangra, one can only say – please do not accentuate the pain the widows of Pahalgam are already undergoing, that demeans the women of India.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
5 minutes ago
- The Hindu
West Bengal migrant worker repatriated from Bangladesh after family moves Calcutta HC
Amir Sheikh, a 19-year-old migrant worker from Kaliachak in West Bengal's Malda district who was allegedly detained from Rajasthan in May and 'pushed back' into Bangladesh, was reunited with his family on Wednesday. Mr. Amir's family members said the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel handed him over to the Basirhat police in the State's North 24 Parganas district. Earlier this month, Ziyem Sheikh, the father of Mr. Amir, had filed a habeas corpus petition before the Calcutta High Court. The matter was heard before the Division Bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Reetobroto Kumar Mitra. The counsel appearing for the BSF said Mr. Amir attempted to cross over to Indian territory on Tuesday and since he could not produce appropriate identification documents, he was apprehended and handed over to the officer in charge of the Basirhat police station. Speaking to The Hindu, his family contested the BSF's claims. 'I got a call this morning asking me to pick up my son from Basirhat. All this is happening because we approached the court,' Mr. Ziyem said. Refuting BSF's claims Trinamool Congress MP and chairperson of the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board Samirul Islam also refuted the BSF's claims of the migrant worker 'inadvertently crossing the border'. He said an attempt was being made to 'cover up the pushing back of the migrant worker into Bangladesh by the BSF and the Union government by repatriating him'. 'Amir Sheikh from Kaliachak in Malda was deported to Bangladesh by the Rajasthan police with the help of the BSF. From the very beginning, we stood by his family. We helped Amir's father file a habeas corpus petition in the Calcutta High Court. Under pressure, the BSF has brought Amir back to West Bengal,' the MP said, adding that they even have the video Mr. Amir had recorded from Bangladesh. 'He was deported' 'We will legally prove that Amir was deported by the BSF and that he did not go there voluntarily,' Mr. Islam said. He also pointed out that the migrant worker was in the custody of Bangladeshi authorities and had the family not approached the court, he would have continued to languish in detention in the neighbouring country. The matter will come up for hearing on August 27. Hundreds of Bengali-speaking migrant workers have faced alleged detention and harassment in different States and asked to produce documents to prove they are not Bangladeshi nationals. Some migrant workers from West Bengal have claimed that they were 'pushed into' the neighbouring country but later repatriated with the help of Indian authorities.


Economic Times
9 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Oppn-ruled states cry foul as Andhra Pradesh gets semiconductor project
Synopsis The Union Cabinet's approval of a semiconductor facility in Andhra Pradesh has sparked controversy, with Opposition-ruled states alleging biased investment allocation towards NDA-governed regions. Telangana claims it offered prime land and subsidies, while Karnataka suggests investors were diverted to BJP-led states after expressing initial interest in their state. New Delhi: The Union Cabinet's nod for a semiconductor facility in Andhra Pradesh has triggered a political controversy, with Opposition-ruled states accusing the Centre of weaning away investments and directing them to NDA-ruled states. The Centre's nod to a semiconductor manufacturing facility by Advanced System in Package Technologies Private Limited with an expected investment of ₹1,500 crore in Andhra Pradesh under Indian Semiconductor Mission (ISM) has run foul of Opposition-ruled states. Telangana's industries and IT minister Sridhar Babu Duddilla had stated on X, "The Telangana government has done everything a proactive state should do, from allotment of 10 acres of prime land at Maheshwaram to all subsidies being approved... The company has been waiting only for the India Semiconductor Mission approval. Yet, in a baffling display of bias, the Union Cabinet has greenlit a similar project in Andhra where not even a single acre of land has been allotted... A state with ready infrastructure, investor commitment and a clear execution plan has been sidelined in favour of an unprepared proposal existing only on paper."Andhra government sources, however, told ET that the state offered "superior package, including better-priced land and fast-track approvals".Karnataka minister MB Patil told ET: "Several players came to Karnataka and were quite eager to invest here but when they went to Delhi they were diverted to BJP-ruled states." Earlier, in an interview to this correspondent, Kerala minister P Rajeev said that the Centre had withdrawn permission given to a GIFT city in the state.


Economic Times
9 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Siddaramaiah on back foot after losing two ST ministers in 2 years
Synopsis The Congress government in Karnataka faces backlash after dismissing Valmiki community minister KN Rajanna for criticizing "vote theft," a move directed by AICC leadership. This decision, following B Nagendra's earlier resignation due to fund diversion allegations, has shocked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and risks alienating the crucial Ahinda voting bloc, while the BJP attempts to capitalize on the community's discontent. Agencies Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Bengaluru: The Congress government in Karnataka has gone into a defensive mode, refraining from reacting much to the constant barbs hurled at it by the Opposition BJP over the firing of Valmiki community (ST) minister KN Rajanna. Chief minister Siddaramaiah removed Rajanna from the ministry on directions from AICC leadership, displeased over his critical comments on "vote theft". His removal from the state cabinet comes a year after another Valmiki minister, B Nagendra, resigned after allegations of diversion of funds meant for the welfare of ST members surfaced. Rajanna's ouster has been a shocker for Siddaramaiah as the MLA from Tumakuru district has been a loyal follower, known for his blunt talk. His exit comes at a time when the CM had been trying to bring back Nagendra into the Cabinet. Siddaramaiah, who belongs to the backward class Kuruba community, has cemented his position as a tall leader of the Ahinda (acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalit) voters. But now, the community could doubt his ability to protect its political way Rajanna was removed will exact its own political price, said an ST leader. BJP too has been trying to foment anger in the numerically strong community by supporting Rajanna's remarks and projecting him as a victim. "Congress government is always ready to betray the Valmiki community," the BJP said in a post on X.