Jadavpur Professor Compares Virgin Girls to Sealed Bottles, Refuses to Apologise

January 14, 2019 0 Comments

Kanak Chandra Sarkar, a professor at Jadavpur University (JU), made an arbitrary analogy between a ‘sealed bottle’ and woman’s virginity in a recent Facebook post, dated January 13, 2019, setting off outrage across the country. He hasn’t apologised for his remarks despite the uproar on social media uproar and his Facebook shows that Sarkar has a habit of posting sexist statements on the platform.

In this post, Sarkar said, “Are you willing to buy a broken seal while purchasing a bottle of cold drink or a packet of biscuits? A girl is born sealed from birth until it is opened. A virgin girl means many things accompanied with values, culture, and sexual hygiene. To most boys virgin wife is like angel.”

Although the post is now deleted, he stood by his statement and even tried to justify his stance in another Facebook post following pushback on social media. “I have not said anything wrong. As per constitution, it’s my right to present my expression. There is freedom of expression and speech,” he told News18.

“There may be minor mistakes from my side but the bottomline is I have not done anything wrong as per law”, he added.

In another Facebook post, he said, “I Write My Personal Opinion. Supreme Court has repealed section 66 A of IT Act and given freedom of expression in Social Media. When Taslima Nasrin wrote against a particular religion we supported her Freedom of Expression. We are supporting Bengali Poet Srijato who writes about Hindu Gods.”

A quick glance through Sarkar’s Facebook timeline shows more such sexist statements. In a Facebook post dated November 9, 2018, he said, “Modern Boys and Girls think that celibacy, virginity are not part of ethics and morality. Thus girls get exploited by cunning and scounderal boys.”

Also read: Jadavpur University Beefs Up Security After Reports of On-Campus Violence, Students Demand Investigation Instead

Similarly, on December 22, 2018, he said that women should be proud if they are virgin before marriage. “Express your virginity during marriage negotiation or during love affair or even in married life. I am sure you will be honoured by your husband or lover,” he wrote.

His recent Facebook post sparked off a controversy as students and professors from different universities took to social media to raise objections over his post. Dr. A. Jagan Mohan Reddy, professor at Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, condemned his remarks in a tweet.

Also read: JNU Calls a Sexual Harassment Complaint ‘Frivolous’, Takes Actions Against Complainant

Some also demanded quick action against Sarkar:

On the very same day, JU faculty member Subhajit Naskar said that the matter will be discussed with the authorities.

According to posts on Facebook, Sarkar has been accused of sexual harassment. But, the details of these allegations are not verified.

Featured image credit: Facebook 

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