Making Sen-se: Have no defence? Just blame it on wife

Diplomat-in-the-dock, Ronen Sen, had an interesting comment to make in Parliament on the ‘headless chickens’ issue. One of his defences was that he often used the phrase when his wife kept running around while preparing to receive guests at home!

It is certainly not funny. Perhaps, the latest one from him is even more degrading than the original one, which precipitated the whole controversy.

What has gone wrong with the progressive, liberal in us! An Indian ambassador to the Land of Liberty is expected to be more thoughtful with his choice of words when faced with one of the supreme authorities in his homeland.

And he is also expected to uphold the values enshrined in that principle of Liberty/Equality when dealing with a constant companion. A seasoned diplomat like Ronen is also expected to be gutsy, taking all the blame manfully.

Hearing Ronen’s comments, one is reminded of the memorable words of Nancy Astor: “In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on woman.”

Astor was the first woman to sit in the British House of Commons, and well known for her great energy and wit.

Ronen's wife! The poor lady must be burdened with too much of work not to appear thoughtful, taking care of all the formalities associated with meals, and some difficult and not too difficult guests. But for the husband! Her anxiety and running around makes her a headless chicken.

But Ronen is no exception. Badmouthing-the-wife is a convenient pastime. If husband is too fat, it is her oily preparation. If husband happens to be too thin, well, then she is starving him to death!

“Oh, the death knell to your freedom is fast approaching.” You are more likely to hear this when friends are closeted with the groom, than with the bride. Of course, she got to be a headless chic to have got into such alliance in the first place.

Probably, Germaine Greer, a feminist known best for her novel The Female Eunuch was bang on point when she said that “women have very little idea of how much men hate them.”

While women may protest, the scribes, against whom the original comment was directed, can feel happy. Like a wife who does the cleaning up act despite all insults and provocations, they too have been entrusted the task of helping clean the society of some despicable people and acts.

No wonder, both have been called headless chickens. One for looking for a comment here and there, and the other for undertaking a guest management task which, if done properly, will only increase Ronen’s stock in the corridors of power!

(Sondhi is a freelance journalist. Opinion expressed in this article is his own.)