Kerala CM V.D. Satheesan’s advice to mothers to pass on ‘traditional recipes to daughters-in-law’ sparks row

Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s remark at a public event recently, in which he asked mothers to “pass on traditional cooking methods to their daughters-in-law” has kicked up a controversy, with many criticising it as sexist and propagating gender stereotypes.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Pampa Literature Festival at Chengannur on Saturday (July 25, 2026), Mr. Satheesan said “everything traditional, including art, should be preserved.”

“The previous generations passed on their traditional methods to us. But today, no one passes it on to the next generation. Some mothers make special dishes with their own recipes. I often complain to some of them that they do not teach their children how to make them. They should pass on the method to their children or their daughter-in-law,” he said.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] leader and former General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, who shared the portion of the speech with the remark on his social media pages, said “such opinions are being made despite changes being made in school textbooks that everyone should carry out household work, regardless of gender.”

Writer S. Saradakutty also criticised the Chief Minister’s remarks, saying that “his thoughts have advanced only this much.”

“No wonder the Chief Minister sat silently after seeing the courage of the protesting girls at Jantar Mantar,” she wrote.