May you be the mother of a hundred sons.[break]
Bhswor Ojha
A Journey Among the Women of India by Elisabeth Bumiller
The writer had been to India in 1985 and she traveled all over the country for four years. She even took the opportunity to meet politicians like Indira Gandhi and actors like Smita Patel. Earlier, she had decided to write about things other than women. But when she saw the realities of the country like Sati Pratha, dowry and veil systems, infanticides, forced arranged marriages, and the overall situation of the women, she was so moved that she couldn’t help but write about them. These issues were particularly more disturbing for her because she belonged to an entirely different culture which was miles away from these of injustice and inequalities.
She was also intrigued by the contradictory practices being carried out in the name of religion and culture. While women were deified as goddesses by the religious scriptures, they were treated so unfairly by the state, family and society. Even out of so many social evils, she was specifically horrified when she saw newly married brides being burnt alive for dowry and the practices of sex-selective abortion where a fetus was murdered before its birth merely for being a female. For her, it was heart rendering how a woman had to rely on a man not just to survive and sustain but to live. She needed a father or a brother to give her away, a husband to provide her with food, shelter and security, and finally a son to ascribe a powerful and reverential status in the family. This book, basically, can be considered as an outcome of “cultural shock” which might be baffling for a Westerner but a regular everyday reality for an Easterner.
About Kaini
Prabha Kaini, Lecturer at the Center for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS), received her PhD on women’s reservation from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. An avid reader who likes to read books on various issues and subject matters and at the same time to avoid monotony, Kaini believes writing to be the best way of outpouring and revisiting what one has read.
Kaini believes that reading helps one speak up and articulate. She also associates expression with knowledge. Knowledge, she opines, is the most important thing for an individual, regardless of their gender, nationality, religious orientation, economic class and professional standing. In this scenario, women too should give more emphasis on knowledge rather than reservations. Reservations, she believes, are practical as far as representation is concerned.
However, there may be times when it may do more harm than good. Ultimately, it is an individual’s potential that has to be taken into account when it comes to performance at work. Those people who get jobs solely on the basis of reservations without the actual zeal and talent suffer and get manipulated eventually. Also, the question arises regarding the authenticity of [reservation] seats provided.
“If the same few elite women get every opportunity, isn’t that another sort of discrimination in itself?” Kaini insists.
Sheer thirst for knowledge drove Kaini to books. She started reading only later in life when she joined the research center under Tribhuvan University. Her journey into the world of academics that commenced with research articles has now reached far and wide into the realms of fiction, memoirs and biographies. Nowadays, her friends and family members gift her books on every occasion and she has quite a good collection of her own. The author of the novel “Anaabrit” – which in Sanskrit means “to reveal” – feels the happiest when she is in the company of books.
“People have begun to regard me as a writer. For me, that in itself is a huge compliment,” she smiles.
Kaini’s Five Picks
Why Women Should Rule the World by Dee Dee Myers
The writer, a Professor of Political Science, was a White House Secretary during Bill Clinton’s presidency. She talks about gender discrimination at the White House. She focuses on the difference in pay scale and the biased idea that women are inferior to men in terms of rationalism and judgment. She boldly states that if women were to rule the world, although imperfect, it would be a much better place.
Karnali Blues by Buddhisagar
The novel is so beautiful in its descriptions. It’s a realistic portrayal of those superstitions and poverty issues that still form a greater part of our country and society. Another heartwarming part of the society is the father-son relationship. And although the book is not on feminism, the female characters in the story have a strong and poignant presence.
Strange Rebels by Christian Caryl
The writer focuses on the five crucial events in world history that shook the earth by its core and brought about major changes. The Russian Invasion in Afghanistan, the appointment of an Irish Pope in Vatican, Margaret Thatcher’s liberalization of [the British] economy, the exile of Ayatollah Khomeini from Iran, and Deng Xiaoping’s economic policies which are believed to have led China to its economic prosperity at present are the incidents that have been discussed and talked about in the book.
Sukaratka Paaila by Govinda Raj Bhattarai
It’s a tale of a boy named Ananta who is originally from eastern Nepal. When his girlfriend, a Maoist combatant, is killed in the People’s War, he goes mad with grief. Then his teacher, Sukarat, shows him the way to deal with this pain and move ahead in life. This book encompasses the era of Maoist insurgency and the hopes, dreams and promises it entailed.
After God by Don Cupitt
This book focuses on the age-old argument on the existence of God. Everybody has her own interpretation regarding this matter. The writer, a priest, defies God. God, he says, depends on one’s perspective. One has to create his or her own God as per convenience. God is often a mere instrument to dominate, reassure or to receive benefits from.
As told to Nitya Pandey
Related story
Indigenous Knowledge: System for future reference
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