Kerala CM’s offhand kitchen joke on mothers, daughters-in-law triggers 'sexism' row

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has faced flak, this time not for any political reason but for making “anti-women” remarks. The Congress leader remarked jokingly while inaugurating the 14th Pampa Literary Festival in Chengannur in Alappuzha district on Saturday (July 25) that mothers should pass on traditional culinary knowledge to their daughters-in-law, triggering a storm on social media.

“I have a complaint against some mothers. They have a special talent for preparing certain traditional dishes that only they know how to make. But they do not pass those recipes on to their children. At the very least, they should teach those dishes either to their own children or to the person who later becomes their son’s wife. That way, the uniqueness of those dishes can be carried forward to the next generation,” the CM said.

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Many questioned whether cooking remains women's primary responsibility and whether women are only responsible for preserving heritage.

Ex-LDF minister says they promoted gender equality

The matter also took a political turn in no time as the opposition slammed Satheesan. Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader V Sivankutty, who served as Kerala’s general education minister in the previous Left Democratic Front government, said the CM’s remarks contradicted the values of gender equality that have been promoted through the state’s school curriculum during their time.

In a post on Facebook, he said, “We introduced a change in the textbooks that everyone, regardless of whether they are male or female, should do household chores. Even then…”

The former minister said household responsibilities should not be assigned based on gender and recalled that the curriculum had been revised to encourage boys and girls alike to share domestic work equally.

Writer criticises CM remarks

Malayalam writer and social critic S Saradakutty called Satheesan’s remarks patriarchal, saying they ignored the growing resistance to traditional gender roles.

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She cited the recent women-led protests at Jantar Mantar and shared a poem that symbolically rejects the intergenerational transmission of domestic burdens imposed on women.

In a post on Facebook, she said, "No wonder he (Satheesan) remained silent and avoided showing his face after witnessing the determination of the young women protesting at Jantar Mantar. This is as far as the journey has come."

(With agency inputs)