In an attempt to take a dig at former IPS officer K. Annamalai joining the BJP, retired Judge of the Madras High Court put out a casteist and a sexist comment about Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Facebook.
Savukku Shankar, a DMK sympathizer and an online troll who is known for his rabble rousing against anyone who is against the DMK high command had shared on his Facebook an article written by him in his yellow page blog ‘savukkuonline’ about K. Annamalai joining the BJP.
In this Facebook post, former Judge of the Madras High Court had commented that Annamalai is making a route for a Rajya Sabha seat through Karnataka just like “Oorugaai Ammaiyaar” – a casteist and a sexist reference to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Brahmin and woman identity.
Oorugaai Ammaiyaar in Tamil means “a woman who makes pickles”. This reference is used because it is said that women from Tamil Brahmin community make good pickles.
It is not just a casteist reference but is also sexist and highly misogynistic that indirectly implies that women from Brahmin commmunity are good for only making pickles.
Following this, many on social media called out the casteist and sexist mindset who had once wielded the pen of justice.
Social commentator and political analyst Banu Gomes said that these people don’t realize that their comments are actually appreciations. “It is challenging to make traditional pickles year after year without the change in taste. It is an activity that requires science, accounting, accuracy, purity, and sharpness. So every time someone mentions calls her (FM Nirmala Sitharaman) ‘Oorugaai Ammaiyaar’ it is a complement to her’.
