Thiruvananthapuram, 29 July (H.S.): Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Wednesday firmly rejected allegations that his recent remarks on cooking were sexist, asserting that his comments had been taken out of context and unfairly portrayed as anti-women.

Addressing a press conference, Satheesan said he had merely emphasised the importance of preserving traditional culinary knowledge by passing it on to the next generation. He maintained that his statement was intended to encourage families to ensure that unique recipes and cooking techniques were not lost over time.

The Chief Minister said he had specifically referred to mothers who prepare special dishes unique to their households but often fail to teach those recipes to their children. His suggestion, he explained, was that such knowledge should be shared with their children and, where appropriate, with those who become part of the family through marriage, so that the culinary tradition could continue.

Questioning the criticism directed at him, Satheesan asked where he had stated that only daughters should learn cooking. “When I said children, did I distinguish between sons and daughters?” he asked, insisting that his remarks applied equally to all children and had been deliberately misrepresented.

He also criticised sections of the media for highlighting isolated words instead of presenting the full context of his speech. According to the Chief Minister, many reports were based on selective excerpts rather than the complete address, leading to a misleading public perception of what he had actually said.

Satheesan said there was nothing anti-women in encouraging families to pass on traditional cooking skills. While reiterating that he stood by his original remarks, he urged the media to report statements responsibly and avoid creating controversies by taking comments out of context.

“If non-existent issues are exaggerated, it is not my credibility that will suffer, but that of those who misrepresent the facts,” the Chief Minister said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman