“Freedom of woman” is not freedom for women! 💜

A Freewheeling Interview ❤️

Eminent Advocate Arulmozhi 

In Conversation with - 

Brindha, Lalitha, Joanna, Asline and Sneka, II MA English

#interviewtime

15th Sept 2023

Rapporteur: Joanna Obed

Video & Photographs: Sneka. K

Since the Non-Resident Women Students’ Forum, MCC, was hosting their inauguration at the Centre for Media Studies, I promptly requested Dr. Huldah Samuel, Dean of Women Students, if our II MA students can have video bytes with the Chief Guest of the event, Adv Arulmozhi, and Dr. Huldah gladly agreed to our request!

Five vibrant students from the II MA English class had done their groundwork with aplomb, well in advance, and they were all geared up to have a tête-à-tête with the eminent personality.

Special thanks to Ganesh Aadhitya, a true-blue, vibrant MCC-ian, who cheerfully joined the students in pepping up the Interview.

Excerpts from Adv Arulmozhi’s candid talk with the students - 

[Transcribed by Joanna, II MA English]

Change is something that should be brought out along with the society!

First parents have to understand that a girl is born not as a maid to serve the man.

Then followed a host of such enlightening and empowering views that burst forth to life from Adv. Arunmozhi ma’am whom we had the honour to meet and have a great time interacting with!

The ideas were very clear and precise and her responses were so inspiring, very much the hallmark of a writ lawyer!

Having done her schooling and her under graduation in Salem, with supportive parents and inspiring followers of Periyar, she began her first tryst with public speaking, right from her 10th standard onwards.

An interesting note is that, her mother who was previously quite religious, then turned to be a hardcore rationalist, after being introduced to Periyar’s ideology and views of life, that were narrated to her by her father. From this comes her inspiration for Periyar and his views of life and society in general!

She had originally thought of pursuing her BA in English just to overcome her fear for the language. For someone who studied in Tamil medium till her 12th standard, it was quite a daring move!

She weighed her pros and cons in that she is passionate about languages and was able to learn Telugu and Sourashtra while she also picked up on Kannada and Malayalam being with the people in such places and surroundings!

So why not English? She had asked herself once!

Soon she changed her plans, and opted to pursue law as she felt that it gave her the agency that other professions couldn't. 

Only if I am a lawyer, I can be master of myself – because I can choose to accept or decline a case and play my part to the duty I have taken up!

It is solely up to me to make my bread. Other professions had many restraints,

she said.

“Freedom of woman” is not freedom for women!

Rather, freedom is meant for all and the restricting factors of patriarchy is what is to removed.

There are five stages of freedom, she averred.

Again a wonderful answer was given to the question of how the parenting must be for a betterment of girl child.

Adv Arulmozhi said that, parents should be counselled and mentally prepared to understand that gender is not a matter but the life is.

They should be taught to treat both the boy and girl in same way, teaching life skills (that both should play hard, challenging sports, and both should do the household chores, cook, clean and tidy up their own place, etc). And both children must be dressed neutrally, in order to eliminate the beauty factor.

The boy is dressed in tee shirts with trousers when young, and in pants when he is grown up, which is pretty decent, fully covered and comfortable to wear.

Why should a girl be dressed in gowns of knee length and the older ones in sarees and other figure-fitting outfits which are not even comfortable and they are always made to feel conscious of their looks.

If both are dresses as boys it won’t be trouble at all! At the same time, it would be quite comfortable for them as well.

The tee shirt for girls is curved in sides which is again worn uncomfortably by the girls as it enhances the shape of the figure.

The irony of fashion being a tool used by feminism for their rights to choose what they want to wear is also indulgence of male gaze; It is patriarchy-driven as well!

It can be sorted out by equipping women with knowledge on how to pick the dresses for themselves instead of blindly following the propaganda.

Why is this dress designed so? What is the purpose of it? Such questions can always keep women in check and to make wise choices.

When asked if the poor can have easy access to the Supreme Court for their justice, Adv Arulmozhi said that, the question of the access to the Supreme Court to the poor is unimaginable as it’s for the wealthy to appeal there, cause of the exorbitant expenses involved! The system works that way, and to bring a significant change in the system takes time, she opined.

The world is more into globalization and there is a globalization of poverty as well, since only one part of the population is highly favoured.

The very symbol of the blindfolded statue is to show the equality and the law doesn't see persons but the reality is that everything is considered when something is addressed, like, the family background, community, wealth etc.

So it can't be drastically changed but certainly we can lay out the stepping stone.

She shared an experience of filing a case against Tamil  movie which showed a weird romance between a 10-year old boy who changes into a grown man at evening due to some research failure on him. As a result, the movie was banned of its UA authorisation for some years. It was later lifted by the Supreme Court after a few years.

Much worse things have seeped into the movies now!

Thus, we had the wonderful experience of having a fruitful and rewarding conversation with Adv.Arulmozhi ma’am. Thank You!  Special thanks to Rufus Sir for making it possible and to all my friends who accompanied me. A special note of thanks to Ganesh Anna who coincidentally joined us, and together we were part of this happy piece of memory.

Transcribing done by: Joanna Obed, II MA English

Photographs: Sneka. M