The language of the gutter

The recent controversy involving the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) State President Shavina Naik Shirodkar and former party treasurer Ajay Kholkar has brought this dark reality back to the forefront of Goan political discourse. Following Kholkar’s allegedly vulgar, lewd, and defamatory remarks, Shavina filed a formal police complaint at the Margao Police Station. But this incident is not an isolated one. It is a systematic gameplan of the male dominated political ecosystem which fundamentally engages in smear campaigns and blatant misogyny to undermine women in political leadership. For EVESCAPE -- committed to amplifying women’s voices -- this moment demands more than just reporting. It demands an absolute, unfiltered exposure of the systemic anxiety that triggers these smear campaigns writes Rajeshree Nagarsekar 

When a woman steps into the political arena, she is prepared to battle ideologies, policies, and systemic hurdles. What she shouldn't have to prepare for is a barrage of weaponised misogyny disguised as political dissent. But why do men in politics resort to lewd remarks when dealing with women (colleagues or opponents)? The answer is simple -- deep seated fear of shifting power dynamics, more than intellectual bankruptcy. 

When a woman, especially as young as Shavina, assumes a position of authority, she undoubtedly disrupts the old-boys club. When men in politics (who are adversaries) cannot counter her intellect, challenge her policies, or match her organizational grit, they take the easiest escape route available in a patriarchal society -- they attack her dignity (character assassination). By shifting the conversation from a leader's competence to her gender, body, or personal life, the perpetrator attempts to devalue her authority, reducing a decision-maker to a target of sexualized or derogatory commentary. The creation of a hostile environment by weaponizing public discomfort is aimed at just one thing; to force the woman into a defensive posture. 

Furthermore it benefits the gate keepers (men) to send a warning signal to other aspiring women that the "cost of political entry is public humiliation." It is a calculated strategy designed to maintain status quo -- keep the corridors of power looking exactly as they always have, patriarchal and unchallenged. 

While the internal party solidarity and the swift police complaint are necessary acts of resistance, we must push the envelope further. An apology extracted under political pressure changes nothing if the mindset remains intact. True solidarity means changing the political cost of misogyny.

Treating gendered abuse as an internal party dispute or an individual aberration amounts to normalising misogyny. So does telling the woman to "grow a thicker skin." 

To Shavina and to every young woman who has looked at the state of our assembly, our panchayats, and our news cycles and wondered if it is worth the fight -- do not step back. The vulgarity thrown your way is not proof of your vulnerability. It is a confession of their weakness. They use lewdness because they lack the vocabulary to debate you on equal footing. They attack your character because they cannot match your courage.

Filing a complaint at the Margao Police Station is a declaration that Goan women will no longer suffer the indignities of political gatekeeping in silence. EVESCAPE network stands unequivocally with Shavina and every woman who faces the brunt of toxic political machinery. We do not just demand safer spaces; we demand the dismantling of the old power structures entirely.

The future of Goa's politics belongs to those who build it with vision, integrity, and respect. Not to those who attempt to pull it down with the language of the gutter.