‘Modern girl is ‘self-centred’, irresponsible towards family’: Book introduces new definition

Pictures of a book titled Current School Essays and Letters by Purabi Chakraborty are doing the rounds on social media. It is so because this book, intended to educate secondary and higher secondary students, introduces a new definition of “modern girl”. It begins by saying the girl in the modern age is very smart, intelligent, conscious and fashionable before going on a two-page misogynistic rant, the pictures show.

The essay describes the modern girl as a “creature” who is not “shy”, “obedient” and “homely” as she used to be. One line, in particular, stands out: “She is more a self-centred creature than a loving daughter or a sympathetic sister.” It goes on to add “she talks and makes friendship with the boys freely and easily.”

The modern girl, the essay says, has no time to look after the needs of the other members of the family. “She shows very little or no responsibilities to the other members of the family.” Not just that, according to the book, she likes to use latest fashion to become “charm of parties”. She is one who likes to wear “jeans, pants and hot pants”. “Colorful sarees have no place in a modern girl’s stock of garments,” the book states.

The only interest this book’s version of the modern girl seems to have is to get the “maximum pleasure out of life”. There are more gems that this essay characterises the modern girl with. With books such as these, it is no wonder that India ranks 125 on the Gender Inequality Index.