Girls and women usually struggle for equal footing in the society and within their own family. But when the bias extends to the affluent, especially celebrities who have legions of fans, it is a matter of concern.
The recent comments of Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi, expressing his wish for a grandson to carry forward his legacy, have sparked controversy. Speaking at a film event in Hyderabad, Chiranjeevi shared, “When I’m at home, it doesn’t feel like I’m surrounded by my granddaughters; it feels like I’m a ladies’ hostel warden, surrounded by ladies all around. I keep wishing and telling (Ram) Charan, at least this time, have a boy so that our legacy continues, but his daughter is the apple of his eye… I’m scared that he might again have a girl.”
Chiranjeevi’s remarks have been perceived as sexist by many and have provoked criticism on social media. His male fans may play it down eventually. But when celebrities with such vast influence on the masses make such statements, doesn’t it encourage the flawed psyche of those biased against the female gender?
The Son Obsession
Across cultures, the bias against daughters has been closely tied to the perceived inferior status of women in the social pecking order.
The idea that sons are the primary providers of financial support for their parents, as well as the bearers of family legacy, is deeply ingrained in societies worldwide. More so in India or China, with their ancient and storied civilisations.
Pew Research Centre cites a 2020 UN report that says globally, an estimated 142.6 million (14.3 crore) females went ‘missing’ between 1970 and 2020 due to sex-selective abortion or neglect. China (51%) and India (32%) accounted for most of these ‘missing’ females. (In this context, ‘missing’ females refers to an estimate of how many more females, including girls and women of all ages, there would be if there were no sex-selective abortions, mistreatment or neglect of females.)
A superstar expressing his desire for a grandson sends out a wrong message to the society.
“When a celebrity makes a controversial statement, it does have an impact on the audience, especially when attempts are being made to bridge the gender gap and bring gender equality,” says Lakshmi Krishnan, president, Society for the Promotion of Women and Child Welfare, Delhi.
Chiranjeevi has a huge fan following among Telugu movie buffs. Telugu cinema caters to a cumulative 100 million people of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They also have a wider base across India with their dubbed versions. Most of the movies glorify blatant sexism, with the female leads reduced to largely ornamental roles devoid of substance or agency.
The superhit ‘Bahubali’ had a feisty female protagonist in Sivagami, who rules the mythical kingdom of Mahishmati – in the absence of an adult male heir in the kingdom. She refuses to sit on the king’s throne but presides over all administrative affairs. The film places a strong emphasis on the importance of male lineage. Unfortunately, this reflects real life.
Chiranjeevi, the father, merely articulated what is baked into our collective psyche.
A long way
The obsession for the male child in India is well known. The 2022 data from the NFHS-5 (National Family Health Survey) shows that Indian families mostly prefer sons over daughters. Nearly 80% of those surveyed said they wanted at least one son in their lifetime.
Most of India practises patrilineality, the system where the family name and property are passed down generations through the sons. Also, India’s culture of patrilocality (a social system where a married couple lives with or near the husband’s family) leads to the preference for sons. Daughters are seen to belong to their husband’s families and a burden on finances, since the family has dowry to think about. Earlier, our succession and inheritance laws also favoured sons. But in recent years, the government has brought in major changes to the law to give equal rights to daughters.
Succession and property laws have been significantly changed to grant daughters an equal share in ancestral property, with a key amendment in the Hindu Succession Act, which gives daughters the same coparcenary rights as sons, allowing them to inherit property directly as joint heirs alongside their brothers. Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs are also governed by these laws.
But biases linger.
These are perpetuated by socio-religious factors like sons performing last rites, especially in Hindus, apparently to “ensure salvation after death”.
Women still have lower participation in the formal workforce. Although the percentage of working women is increasing, men have a higher income value than women-representing 76.8% of the workforce in 2023.
The Centre’s girl child-friendly schemes like ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ or various state government schemes for girls and the ‘ladli behnas’ have created awareness about the rights of the female gender.
But then comes a remark like Chiranjeevi’s, threatening to undo years of progress.
Chiranjeevi does a disservice to the women in his family. His daughter-in-law Upasana Kamineni is a successful entrepreneur, carrying forward her family’s legacy in healthcare and making a positive impact.
To think that southern India, with better education for females, is considered more progressive than the north.
Interestingly, in the matrilineal society of Meghalaya, women control property and inheritance and dominate public spaces. Here, children receive their mother’s last name, husbands move into their wife’s home, and the youngest daughters inherit the ancestral property.
Why not a society where patrilineal and matrilineal systems coexist?
“Yes, definitely a combination of matrilineal and patrilineal society will help get respect for daughters though it may take a lot of time since the mindset needs a drastic change,” says Ms Krishnan.
Celebrities must facilitate that change instead of impeding it.
