The initial title of the post was “How my Parvathy Support got me Booted out of a Rationalist Group in Kerala” but I had to change it because there are so many people in this world who debate/anger/take swords/confront just by reading the Title 🙂 And so I had to change it as the crux of my post is a lot more than the title.  But I am not changing anything in the post except for addition at the end.

I am against Free Thinking overpowered by Group Thinking and that is this post primarily about. And also the realization that there is no one perspective that is completely correct or right.

Finally my Parvathy Support has got me booted out of a Facebook Group run by Rationalists in Kerala. The reason is that in a closed group I saw a video posted by the Vlogger Chekuthan mocking the Malayalam actress Parvathy’s comment during IFFK. I felt that the video was not the right one for discussions and it was supporting the folks who are trying to shut Parvathy down.

Today morning I find that my last comment was deleted and I was booted out (I could not find the group in the search and I checked with someone and they confirmed that the group exists but not me 🙂 ). So rationally speaking I was booted off or removed.

I messaged to some of the admins and one admin replied that he removed me because I said I would not be interested in staying in the group. Very logical, rational and valid 🙂 but there is a bit more to this. Why did I, an atheist and rationalist say that I will leave a rationalist group?

1. I told them that the video was not right and it bubbles with misogyny and some admin commenting ‘Vow’ on the video makes me raise questions… apparently it is the same Admin who removed me 🙂
2. I also in a way (I guess) referred that some of the senior admins in Group are trying to downplay women by allowing the posting of such videos and some other posts.
3. I also added that there could be a possibility that some past ego clash between the admins and other rationalists outside the group has a bearing on many posts and discussions happening here.
4. I told them I will leave the group in two days. I could have left then and there; but I said two days as I thought that two days will help us all to discuss things in the group. But I guess the admin did not want to give me 2 days in the open (in a closed group) to discuss about misogyny and rationalism 🙂

The admin also mentioned to me that I was not very active in the group in discussions.. yes, true but in that case they should have removed me before and not now. And there are many in the group who are silent. So being silent was ok, but questioning was not…? 🙂 where have I heard that similar thought before….? 🙂

I think rationally sending me out would be the right thing because may be as part of group etiquette one should not publicly proclaim that they are leaving. Something like you are no more a patriot (sounds similar?). Like you become an anti-rational if you say you would leave a rationalist group 🙂 But for me that is not Free Thinking but Group Thinking or ‘Pack Mentality’

I post this here because… For me being an Atheist, disowning god and supernatural is a stand in life that many of us have taken but that for me is not the criteria on which I connect and see this world. I see this world through our ability to converse with others. For me the ability to converse with people who do not agree with me is more important than the ability to hang out and scratch the backs of people who agree with me :).

Why I support Parvathy is because the opposition to Parvathy in majority of cases is abusive and repressive and in no way a civilized opposition and the agenda is to forcibly shut her down, which is bad for free speech in our society. If you have any doubts, you should read the comments that flow on youtube where people abuse the actress.

The very reason why Rationalists should support Parvathy and not promote videos that show her down

Addition: One of my friends pointed out that the last paragraph here mis-conveys that I support Parvathy only because of the abuse… well that is not right… I support Parvathy for what she said. And the abuse is the other issue. So we have two issues here…misogyny in Kasaba and Parvathy’s right judgement on that and then the Abuse she has to face from people for opening her mind.

-Vinod-

Categories: Articles

Tags: Equality, Feminism, misogyny, Parvathy, Rationalism