Donkeys are less trouble than wives?

A tidbit of ancient wisdom appears in childrens textbooks in India

Teaching materials in India apparently get right to the point, not bothering with veiled analogies or allegory. The Times of India recently reported on an excerpt from a textbook that is used in Indian schools.

The possible truth of this statement is obviously up for debate as, i’m sure, many husbands would happily weigh in on the subject. Of course, their answers would probably also vary depending on whether or not their wife was in the room with them. Regardless, it’s interesting to know that the Indian government is distributing this nugget of knowledge to young men before they learn the hard way.

From the Times of India report:

A textbook used at schools in the Indian state of Rajasthan compares housewives to donkeys, and suggests the animals make better companions as they complain less and are more loyal to their “masters”.

“A donkey is like a housewife ... In fact, the donkey is a shade better, for while the housewife may sometimes complain and walk off to her parents’ home, you’ll never catch the donkey being disloyal to his master,” the newspaper reported, quoting a Hindi-language primer meant for 14-year-olds.

The book was approved by the state’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government but has sparked protests from the party’s women’s wing.

State education officials in Rajasthan, a western state known for its conservative attitude toward women, said people should not be upset by the comparison, the paper said.

“The comparison was made in good humor,” state education official A.R. Khan was quoted as saying. “However, protests have been taken note of and the board is in the process of removing it (the reference).”

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