When ‘mythologist’ Devdutt Pattanaik had a Twitter meltdown

The recent raging controversy in the country revolves around the latest Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie which is based on Rani Padmavati. While the controversy rages on, a parallel discussion that has gripped the nation is whether Rani Padmavati was right to choose death over honour. In this regard, ‘mythologist’ Devdutt Pattanaik went on a tweet rampage that left twitterverse both shocked and disgusted.

The controversy started with this tweet of Devdutt, where he talks about how unfortunate it is that a movie would glorify someone who would choose death over rape, or the idea that it embodies.

https://twitter.com/devduttmyth/status/931445429102723073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The conversation of course drifted to patriarchy thereon.

https://twitter.com/devduttmyth/status/931451111222870016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
What is rather unfortunate, and also shocking, considering Devdutt calls himself a historian, that he fails to draw a distinction not only between rape and sex slavery, but also applies the choices that women faced, when they were about to be taken as sex conquests by Islamic invaders to what a woman might do today.

When this, and much more was pointed out to Devdutt, he slipped into his meltdown mode.

https://twitter.com/devduttmyth/status/931485961514467329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Not just asinine rants, he went on to accuse people of enjoying burning their daughter, over and over again. This specific example is when someone pointed towards the ordeal of women who were taken by ISIS as sex slaves.

https://twitter.com/devduttmyth/status/931721075469312000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
This was Devdutt’s response when someone asked him to ask the womenfolk in his family what they think about this issue.

https://twitter.com/devduttmyth/status/931564585403985920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Some folks were ofcourse not willing to take his rubbish lying down.

https://twitter.com/iAnkurSingh/status/931570573976657921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Some pointed towards his complete nervous breakdown.

https://twitter.com/Nesenag/status/931574218361151488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Perhaps Devdutt should read the accounts of women who were taken as sex slaves by ISIS. Perhaps he would like to travel and ask those women, what they would choose.

Or perhaps, he should listen to Ms. Sunanda Vashisht. A Kashmiri Pandit who survived Islamic terrorism in Kashmir. A woman, who had a choice. A family, who was willing to choose, rather than succumb.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia