Malayalam magazines drive women into purdah

Madhyamam alone, which has emerged the third largest newspaper in the state with six editions including one from the Gulf, organized two debates on the promotion of purdah, and published more than 50 letters to the editor in its columns defending the spread of the Arabian dress code. "The editorial support and moral patronage from Muslim publications, especially the Madhyamam group, were immense help in spreading the message of purdah. The middle class Muslim women form a common target, our consumers and their readers," says Rasool Gafoor, of the Hoorulyn with gratitude. In his early advertisements, he had used newspaper pictures of purdah-clad Iranian women leading marches in the streets of Tehran. Women in purdah, driving cars and operating computers, are some of the images the publications project.

Till a few years ago only the highly orthodox Sunni women wore the purdah in Kerala. Its newfound popularity is due partly to the realisation that it is more convenient than other attire. "Many find slipping into a burqa much simpler than the elaborate ritual of draping a sari. Cost is another factor. But most predominant factor is the editorial support given by the women publications and the patronage of the community organizations" says M N Karassery, noted writer and progressive  critic on Muslim women’s issues. People like  Karassery among the Muslims interpret the purdah-craze as a deliberate attempt on the part of fundamentalists to divest Muslim women of all progress.

 
The conversion of the famous writer and poetess  Kamala Das alias Madhavi Kutty to Islam three years back triggered another boom in the burqa market, as the publications devoted dozens of features on the celebrity in purdah. It was a virtual war to attract more and more buyers for new and newer brands of burqas. A number of such shops named after Surayya sprung up in several towns of Malabar after the famous author embraced Islam. These publications, in return, gained heavy volume of ad support from the burqa makers. The only way to reach the Muslim women is advertise in these family magazines. "Their editorial support garnered credibility for our ads," says Rasool Gafoor, who spent more than Rs 25 lakhs on advertising last year.

Even the mainstream family magazines like Vanitha of Malayala Manorama and Grihalakshmi of the Mathrubhumi group, chipped in by propagating a ‘nice-girls-wear-burqa’ line.

In Kerala, particularly in the Malabar area of the state, purdah is a recent phenomenon. A decade ago or so, a woman in purdah was a rare sight on the streets of Malabar. Now they can be found everywhere; in colleges, markets and super bazars. Observers are unable to pinpoint the reason for the spread of the purdah in such a short time. They attribute it to the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the subsequent tendency of the community members to become introverted,  looking at a revival of Islam. The high visibility of the RSS-backed revival of Hindu customs and rituals has had its impact on Muslims.

As more and more women come under the spell of the purdah, the progressive among them view it in a different light. To them the cloak conceals a religious chauvinism that spells danger to Muslim womanhood. "Clerics and orthodox organisations want Muslim women to be confined to their traditional roles in the kitchen and bedroom. The purdah provides an effective weapon to restrict their progress," says V.P. Suhara, president of the Nissah, the Progressive Muslim Women¿s Forum. "These publications are run by the same outfits," she adds.

(This article is a part of series on women and media under the Prem Bhatia Memorial Scholarship 2002-03)

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