Undressing is Not Emancipation: Renuka Shahane On Burkini Ban

A woman is always either overdressed or under-dressed: Renuka Shahane slams France’s burkini ban.

Renuka Shahane opens up about the oppressive burkini ban. (Photo: Facebook/Renuka Shahane)

The burkini ban in France has been a symbol of oppression and people all over the world have spoken out against it. Amid the uproar, the 90s television star, Renuka Shahane took to her Facebook account to express her opinions about it.

Slamming the ban, she says that “a woman is always either overdressed or under-dressed”.

I feel undressing is not the only sign of emancipation and neither is overdressing a sign of great virtue. I think what one wears is or should be a personal choice. It should not be imposed. Except if you are visiting a place of worship where you have to conform to the diktats of that place of worship. [sic]

Renuka Shahane 

Uncomfortable with underdressing, Shahane was glad that tight swimsuits that covered the body till the knee were available. Calling it the burkini’s little sister, she said that if the freedom to wear that was taken away from her, she would have never learnt swimming.

Whether you are raping, or becoming militants or gunning down innocent people or spreading hate, is the root of it all the way a woman dresses? Is it? If it is, then why is the “root” of all these menacing problems almost always also the biggest victim? It’s either interference or imposition by patriarchy, conservatism or now even extreme liberalism. [sic]

Renuka Shahane 

Renuka Shahane, who is famous for her roles in Ham Aapke Hain Koun and Kora Kaagaz has been really active on social media and has expressed her opinions on a number of social issues.

She has spoken against the court’s decision to acquit Salman Khan in the blackbuck and chinkara poaching cases; she also invited Irom Sharmila to live with her in Mumbai, and now she has been vocal about the burkini ban.

Kudos to Renuka Shahane for being explicitly raising questions that only a few people in the limelight dare to ask. You can read her entire Facebook post here:

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