‘Sexual hypocrisy of Malayalis’

Paul Zacharia has raised a storm by referring Kerala as a sex starved society immersed in sexual hypocrisy
Abhish K Bose Delhi

Noted Malayalam writer Paul Zacharia's recent opinion that Kerala is a sex starved society raised criticism from various quarters. Zacharia, in an article in a Malayalam literary weekly, Kalakaumudi, commented on the surveillance inclination of Keralites.

The comment was based on the recent incident where a Congress leader in Kerala was caught by CPM activists, with a woman. Reacting to this Zacharia criticised the media in Kerala as nothing but 'mediocre', trying to ignite publicity by portraying any sexually alluding instances involving women. Zacharia told Hardnews, "The sexual hypocrisy of Malayali grows in consonance with the growth of religious and political organisations."

He mentioned that this sexual hypocrisy is a result of missionary education and the transplantation of Protestant and Catholic Christianity. He added that modernity brought the end of sexual hypocrisy all across the world but in Kerala where it still flourishes. "The reason is that Kerala has been taken over by feudal inclinations," he said.

When asked why the same Catholic and Protestant denominations didn't cultivate the same kind of 'sexual hypocrisy' in Europe, He said that the influence of Christianity in Europe is minimal and people were able to extricate themselves from religion. He also said that the Stalinist approach of CPM in India has also contributed to the growth of sexual hypocrisy. Commenting on the way Democratic Youth Federation of India activists manhandled him, he said that Communists should protect freedom of speech instead of repressing it.

"The main deterrent to this kind of inclination should be media. Instead of refining the problem, media is celebrating it," he said. He cited the portrayal of the half-nude Ajitha in Malayalam newspapers in 1970s after she was arrested by police for Naxalite affiliations is an example of how media deals with this hypocrisy.

The recourse he suggested is to create a permissive atmosphere for the newer generations. "They should be brought up in a way where girls and boys mingle with each other only then we can bring an end to this primitive sex notion," he recommended.