Rahul Gandhi rejects Manusmriti norm on women’s subordination

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday termed the Manusmriti norm that a woman must remain under male authority at every stage of her life as 'shameful'. Speaking at the party's youth outreach programme 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' in Pune, Gandhi said women belong to themselves, not to their fathers, husbands or sons.

Gandhi quoted the ancient legal text: 'In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth she belongs to her husband and, when her lord is dead, she belongs to her sons. A woman must never be independent.' He called these words shameful and said they should not have been spoken.

Calling women the country's biggest asset, Gandhi said they should stand for themselves. He urged the youth to 'break the cage', saying every individual is unique. Women are often confined to identities of daughter, wife or mother, he said, but those cannot be their only identity.