Shashi Tharoor backs Kamal Haasan's idea to pay women for housework, Kangana opposes

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday showed his support for actor-politician Kamal Haasan's idea for payment to homemakers, which the latter promised in his party manifesto. The idea sparked a debate after actor Kangana Ranaut took issue with the idea declaring the two leaders should not put a price tag on what women do.

Mumbai: Actor-politician Kamal Haasan's backing for payment to homemakers in his party manifesto sparked a debate between Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and actor Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday with the former all for it and the latter declaring the two leaders should not put a price tag on what women do.

Last month, Haasan promised payment to homemakers - along with computer with high-speed internet to all households and transformation of farmers to agri-entrepreneurs - if his party MNM is voted to power in the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

Extending support to the 66-year-old actor's plan, Tharoor took to Twitter and wrote that this would help give women more autonomy.

"I welcome @ikamalhaasan's idea of recognising housework as a salaried profession, w/the state government paying a monthly wage to homemakers."

"This will recognise and monetise the services of women homemakers in society, enhance their power and autonomy and create near-universal basic income," Tharoor tweeted.

His views, however, were met with opposition by Ranaut.

The "Queen" star said women don't need to get "salary" for mothering their children or loving their partners.

"Don't put a price tag on sex we have with our love, don't pay us for mothering our own, we don't need salary for being the Queens of our own little kingdom our home, stop seeing everything as business.

"Surrender to your woman she needs all of you not just your love/respect/salary," the 33-year-old actor wrote.

Responding to Ranaut, Tharoor said though he is in agreement with her, that one can't put a price tag to many things a homemaker does, the larger intention of the idea is to empower Indian women.

"I agree with @KanganaTeam that there are so many things in a homemaker's life that are beyond price. But this is not about those things: it's about recognising the value of unpaid work and also ensuring a basic income to every woman. I'd like all Indian women to be as empowered as you!" he tweeted.

The aim to provide pay to homemakers was to give due recognition for their work at home, "which hitherto has been unrecognised and unmonetised, thus raising the dignity of our womenfolk," read Haasan's party's seven-point agenda, launched last month.

PTI