Opinion Iron too weak for fire: Do we only like women on a pedestal?

A disappointment came from her breaking the fast. Having promised she will only eat when the draconian law is repealed, people, including her own brother, felt surprise coupled with hurt. Allegedly, her fast was broken in consultation with her partner and not in consultation with her family who ultimately did not want to accept her. This disappointment is unjustified since she was the only one fighting, that too of her own will. She may have been the only protester to ever continue without political support. No one came with her to protest as rigorously, as religiously as she did.

Being a woman, she was held high up on a pedestal. Her strength, her endurance, her power was partly assigned to her being a woman. She wasn’t a person, she was a super human, a goddess, a saviour for all those affected by the law. She stayed alive without eating for years, after all. But she chose to step down from the moral high ground and take the rather difficult step of trusting those who seemingly trusted her for years. Irom’s defeat also asks whether it’s only possible for dynastic women to seek power and stay relevant.

Irom fell and it hurt. Those pandering divisive sentiments find place in people’s lives, but she will be a goddess fallen from grace. Add to it her being a woman, Irom’s defeat begs answer to the question whether we only respect women on a pedestal or if a woman’s role is only to fight like a goddess but not as a decision maker. Irom may have lost the election, the support of the people, but her spirit hasn’t died. One can only hope for more of her kind who will be able to break their caring stereotype and emerge stronger decision makers.