‘ Remembering the Telugu Devadasis.. ‘

‘At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.’ These are the popular words of Pandit Nehru, from his speech ‘Tryst with destiny’. It is so ironical and a matter of concern that within a year of independence an entire community of artistes was forced to give up their profession in the name of social cleansing. The Telugu temple dancers or devadasis were coerced to take a vow on their dancing bells, which for them was as sacred as the deity in the temple that they will never perform or teach their art to anyone. A link between Society and God.. - Popular dance forms of today - Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam, Odissi and Vilasini Natyam were practiced, nurtured and preserved by the community of temple dancers. It was not just their source of livelihood. It defined their identity, way of life, beliefs, philosophy and values. Just as boys from Brahmin communities were put into a Gurukula for acquiring the knowledge of Vedas, Upanishads, Agamas, Shastras to get trained to become priests in the temple or perform other religious duties, girls from the community of Devadasis underwent rigorous training in the art of dance before they were dedicated to a temple to serve as a temple dancer. As a priest was a link between the society and the God , a messenger, a via media to communicate with the Higher power , so was the Devadasi who not only interpreted the scriptures/ incantations in temples through dance but also performed other dance rituals as a part of daily or special sevas. In addition to this she had a major role in educating the society and entertaining the mass and class in highly aesthetic manner. A scholar in multiple subjects… - Devadasis were also known as ‘Nityasumangali’ – eternally auspicious as they were married to God. They were a group of women dedicated to the deity of the temple who did a deep study of music, rhythmology, scriptures, aesthetics, literature, mythology and human psychology. They combined all these and gave it a chiseled expression through dance. Their art formed an integral part of social consciousness. It was presented in the temple as a ritual and in the court as an entertainment for the King and in the gatherings of learned men, where a piece of literature was interpreted in innumerable ways. The dancer delved deep into the text, de-constructed it and weaved images to enhance its meaning. By doing this she created a ‘life-world’ around the audience which enabled them to experience an alternative reality which was highly aesthetic, joyous and at times spiritual. She also presented episodes from mythology, for general public, which educated them about social values. Since the presentation was much lighter in terms of music and dance composition, it communicated well with the uninitiated audience. Hence a kalavati- practioner of art, fulfilled the responsibility of entertaining people in a meaningful way thereby giving them food for thought. A victim of society’s dual values.. - The hypocrisy of the social system which included the temples, the royalty and the rich upper class ultimately led to several acts which aimed at uprooting the Devadasi system. Unlike the priest, devadasis were not allowed to marry. They had a relation with a ‘patron’ who was like their partner. Most of the times this patron was already married and the devadasi did not get the status of a wife, whereas the wife, who took care of him and the family was not given the freedom to practice any art in public. Dance was a taboo for her and if she willed she could learn instrumental or vocal music. The man fulfilled his aesthetic needs or pleasures by going to devadasis and came back home to the secure nest of the family. Over a period of time this lopsided system created a web of relationships which did not get social sanctity. British came with their own set of moralities and looked down upon the art of Devadasi. The nationalist fervour which urged women to participate in the nation building (under the guidance of patriarchal rules) further strengthened the anti Devadasi feeling. All this snowballed into a movement led by Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy which culminated in passing of several Anti-Devadasi Acts. Ironically this did lead some women to choose prostitution. The act did not affect the temple authorities or the Zamindars who played a major role in perpetrating the Devadasi system. Despite all these pressures the dance forms practiced by devadasis have survived the tests of time and are being celebrated not only in India but across the world. Vilasini Natyam is the latest form (although it is as old as other devadasi dance forms) which is painstakingly researched and revived by Swapnasundari. She persuaded the Telugu devadasis who held the art form in the sanctum of their heart for four decades to teach her so that the beauty of the dance form could be seen by one and all. It is slowly regaining its position in the art world and society. Every parent who sends their child to learn a classical dance form should feel proud that their child is carrying the legacy of a spiritual art forward. S(he) is herself an offering ‘ in the dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.’

AMARNATH YATRA - a journey into myself…

Amarnath Yatra is in news every year not only because it is one of the toughest journeys for pilgrims but also a dangerous one. For me it was something exciting that I was looking forward to. Some kind of a challenge because many people told me that it was the most difficult trek. But as days passed by and we were moving closer to our departure many changes happened in my life which shook me emotionally. I felt a desperate need to distance myself from everyone and everything and take a journey into myself. Amaranth cave was not as important for me as was the long walk. The exhaustion… the danger… the uncertainty that came with it… I was not driven by the religious fervour to see the Linga but I could desperately feel the eagerness to make the journey and make it alone. Things do not go smoothly with me as Luck is hardly on my side and I have to work more than is required to get what I want. This trip was no exception. We were scheduled to go in June - almost a month before the actual yatra began but due to security reasons we were asked to wait till third week July. The dates got cancelled and were re-scheduled so many times that I was slowly losing faith that we will be able to go at all. ‘Time’ the ultimate ruler finally took pity on us and things fell into place. While driving to the airport I kept pinching myself whether it was true that we were going or was I in some dream world !!!! At the check-in counter I suddenly realised that I was not carrying any document which proves that I am an Indian. It was not a matter of showing a photo identity proof to the airlines people as there were 3 of us travelling and other two were carrying a valid document. It was a matter of my security and identity. What if something happens in Srinagar and I am asked to prove that I am an Indian. I felt like an alien in my own country. My name, my dress, my religion everything will be inconsequential to an officer who needs a document as a proof. I am a secular person and hate the political and religious divides which people have created but if I am thrown in a communal situation will people listen to my philosophy or will I be ‘branded’ a Hindu because of my demeanour and name. What if Indian police catches me and says I am a spy. Baseless as these thoughts are they kept going in a loop. I tried hard to think positive and told myself ‘All is well’. Flight was to take off in another 45 minutes. There was no way I could get any valid document. So I braced myself for any kind of a situation. We landed in Srinagar airport which is nestled between mountains on all sides. The peaceful and quiet atmosphere gave no indication of the tension which was gripping the city. We were welcomed by a gentleman from CRPF (a friend of my relative who is a retired official of CRPF and had arranged our stay and travel within Kashmir). I thought it is just for courtesy that the officer has come to the airport and will escort us to the guest house. But things were far from normal. We were told that we cannot even think to enter the city, leave alone travel through it to go to Baalthal. There were incidents of violence in which police vehicles were targeted. A senior official’s vehicle was set on fire. Police was on high alert as there was continuous pelting. We were asked to rest in the CRPF guest house and wait till tension subsides. Our return ticket was booked after 3 days. If we did not start for Baalthal the next day we will have to return to Delhi without making the Yatra. I being the youngest in the group and short tempered could not stay calm at all. I kept asking Dinesh ji and Anjali “What do they mean by rest!!!!! Why are we here … I haven’t come here to walk around CRPF training camp and just rest… I want to go to Amarnath.” They were as helpless as me but did not express their frustration. I think the tension was slowly building in them too. We took turns actually. When one was tense the other two placated him/her. Having nothing to do and tired to see the same news reports again and again we decided to go for a walk. Several batches in white t-shirts and khaki knickers were being drilled. They looked like machines, not humans. On one level it was a tough physical training but at a deeper level their minds were being trained. I was silently watching how the individual’s ego was slashed again and again. Many trainees were reprimanded in a language that was so rude and insensitive. I stood still and kept watching. What are they being trained for? To protect us ? From whom? One man being trained to lift the guns against another. I should not be emotional in such things. After all it’s a matter of internal and external security. But I could not help smiling to myself thinking of Javed Akhtar’s words ‘ panchi nadiya pawan ke jhonke koi sarhad na inhe roke, sarhad insaanon ke liye hain, bolo tumne aur maine kya paya insaan hoke ’. When? When? How long? Same questions were asked again and again – sometimes within ourselves or to anybody whom we met- the cook, the soldier, senior official, and driver. ‘When can we make a move’, ‘isn’t there any taxi driver who will take us there ‘, ‘what if the curfew doesn’t lift in 3 days?’ ‘Aren’t there alternate routes’, ‘why should we suffer because of someone else’s political, religious idiosyncrasy? ’ It was interesting to note the difference in their answers which also reflected their economic, social, religious and cultural background. A senior police official, who was a staunch Hindu said ‘all these Muslims should be thrown out of this country. If I am given a chance I’l see to it that Muslims do not get promotions. In fact during the selection process I will fail many of them purposely. Can’t say when this curfew will lift. You please stay here comfortably’. My blood was boiling hearing him speak like this. I kept exchanging glances with my friends who signalled me to stay calm and not be expressive with my face. The cook, a Muslim, said ‘what to do sir, all this is just wasting everyone’s energy and time. Don’t know who starts such things. Because of someone else’s fault it is the common man who suffers. One person does something and the entire Muslim community gets branded’. The soldiers guarding our building were nonchalant about the whole thing. ‘Don’t worry saab. All this will get over’. Anjali was clicking their snaps. I just walked away. It was getting impossible for me to handle this suspense. Afternoon 3 pm… total silence. I could only hear a jeep. Far away. Somewhere. There were barricades all around me. I was told that several people who were waiting to go to Amarnath were scattered all over the city. At least we were safely put up in a training centre while others were held up in some lodge or hotel. The TV channels added fuel to the fire giving only negative news.. itne mare, utne ghayal hue.. I was fed up. Sun was slowly setting. We were invited by the senior police officer for a walk around the campus. He took us to a place which was like a meeting point of all religions - a temple, a church, a mosque and a gurudwara. I wanted to see the mosque also. Everyone discouraged me from visiting it and when I insisted nobody accompanied me. While all the other buildings were busy with some activity, the mosque was locked. I was hurt. Deeply hurt. I could not express my disappointment because I knew no one will understand. They discouraged me from going to the mosque why will they share my pain. I didn’t want to hear weird comments about it so I chose to keep quiet. A weird image flashed in front of my eyes. All the gods whose idols were being worshipped in other buildings were actually in the mosque. Silently sitting with their sad faces. Early dinner, television and then sleep. I woke up with the noise of the television. Anjali had just switched it on. With no sign of curfew being lifted all our hopes to visit the shrine were thwarted. After a silent breakfast we again went for a walk, and were tired of seeing the same things. Even beautiful dahlias, roses, pansies, lilies, bottle brushes could not lift our spirits. We had packed our bags in the morning as we didn’t want to lose a single moment after being told that we can leave. So what to do next? We borrowed rackets and played badminton. I think all of us had given up hope of making a move. We were tired of our own frustration. Playing badminton in Srinagar- we did not come for this. But had no choice. Either we get depressed and curse everyone around us or spend our energies hitting a shuttle cock. When Anjali and I had almost accepted the truth Dinesh ji came running with the news’ chalo .. jaldi…’ . Within 5 minutes we got into a taxi fixed by the police officials because their own vehicle was not safe. We were told that a senior official’s jeep was pelted the previous night. So they could not risk our lives by sending us in their jeep. The roads were almost empty. I could not blink my eyes even for a second as I tried to take in as much beauty as I could. Shades of blue and grey were splattered on the wide canvas of the sky and the water body. Colourful houseboats floated gently on the still waters of Dal Lake. But they were mostly empty due to the curfew. Each of them had a name- the one which attracted my attention was Pandora… the habitat of Na’vi tribe in the movie AVATAR. We had a comfortable vehicle and an excellent driver, Jafaar. I was thanking Allah for His blessings. In these troubled times when parts of the city were burning it was certainly a miracle that a driver agreed to dive us to Baalthal. He was certainly God sent. Otherwise we would have had to take our flight back after 4 days without visiting the shrine. A Muslim driver taking Hindus to their holy shrine !!!!. IN a tense situation that the city was in he agreed to drive us through it. There could have been any attack. We were not bothered because for us visiting the shrine was the only important thing at that time. What about him. But he never expressed any anxiety or fear. That gave us the confidence to face any situation. From the moment we met till we were dropped back in the airport he did everything to make us feel comfortable and homely, as if we were his family members and getting us back safely was his top priority. On the way he shared his story. His family had suffered due to the clashes between the militants and the police force. He was taken away by the police as a suspect and was beaten a lot. He showed us the scars. Even now he shudders to think about those days. Today he lives with his mother. Irrespective of all the injustice meted out to him he still smiles. I think it doesn’t really matter what you do in life. How ‘big’ or ‘small’ the job is, is not the real issue. It is the attitude towards oneself and the others around you which makes you who you really are. I was thinking, for every journey in life, not only is the traveller and the path important, but also the fellow travellers who walk the same path. They can either enrich the journey or create unending obstacles. The fact that we got such a good driver helped us save our energies for the climb. Otherwise we would have been tired mentally or even physically if we had to deal with a lousy, grumpy driver. As we went around the Dal lake I saw Char Chinar Trees.. Four trees in middle of the lake. They looked very mystique from a distance. Like some old sages witnessing life pass by- generation after generation while they stood watching and waiting.. Waiting for peace. And I felt as if those trees were telling us something.. ‘Save us… save our people… save this place… Somebody… Anybody…’ So many emotions were running in my head. I was happy to be in midst of heavenly beauty, sad and helpless about the violence that was still gripping some parts of the city, frustrated thinking why people kill each other in the name of God. I wondered what can external beauty do if the mind is filled with violence? Nature is showering the human race with so much love and bounty but we are totally blinded by our own veils… which not only unable us to see others but also ourselves. We drove past Dal Lake, went into narrow lanes cutting through fields and crossed many cluster of houses. The tension that gripped us in the city slowly melted away. We were mesmerised by the rich green fields and the majestic mountains. Many villagers waved to us. It felt so homely. Human beings are intrinsically peace loving, close to nature and simple. Most of us cover our core with so much that it takes ages to again re-discover that simplicity. Waving back to them I felt as if I made a connection of love. As our car drove on the meandering hilly roads I saw a river flowing - One of the many companions on our journey. We stopped for a while to hear the sound of water. It was like some music, each ripple playing its own instrument and creating a composition of sound. A group of donkeys crossed the road. They were walking without any loads otherwise I always see a donkey carrying so much. They are such docile creatures eternally serving the Man. And for their thankless job they not only get rebuked but are also marginalised compared to other animals. After taking some pictures we started our journey again. It was slowly getting cold as we were moving towards Baalthal. I was lost in my thoughts about the uphill trek that we were going to make the next day. I was slowly drifting into sleep when Jafaar’s voice jolted us, ‘lo ji aa gae hum’. When I opened my eyes it was something unbelievable - like some scene from Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire - Hundreds of colourful tents surrounded by green and brown mountains on all sides, helicopters hovering in the sky and people walking everywhere with their baggage. We got down at the base camp in Baalthal and carried our luggage to our tent. We were privileged to be staying in one of the army tents with proper water supply, beds and a makeshift toilet, whereas other tents which were for civilians did not have many facilities. People had to collect water from a common tap but I was told that everyone was given hot water for bathing. It was a tough stay. But I did not see anyone grumbling. The whole atmosphere was magical as if everyone was a part of a big yagna. Each person seemed to offer herself/himself to the Lord Amarnath and it is this feeling of devotion that made the place look like a Teertha. Although we reached in the night we could see lights on the mountain paths leading to the shrine. The wind carried the sounds of bells. Helicopters were resting in their parking areas. Pandals were filled with people. Mules and their owners were continuously making rounds. Security guards were keeping a vigil. Weather was a little chilly which meant morning was going to be cold. We kept our bags in the tent and went to have dinner. What an aroma. Hot hot puris, kachoris, rotis, dal, sabji, halwa. Every pandal was run by a voluntary organisation. The food was free and it was served to anybody and everybody irrespective of caste or creed. All the loud speakers were playing songs on Bholenath. To someone who is not familiar with that genre of music it will sound like a cacophony but it fitted well in the whole scene. Since we were very hungry and the food was free, Anjali and I decided to eat from every pandal. Ignoring Dinesh ji’s advice we hopped from one pandal to another till our feet and stomach started giving signals. We headed back to our tent around 11. It was a bit scary to see those army trucks and barbed wires running between the tents. One of my earrings fell down. I knew we will not find it but my obsession with things did not allow me to just let go. I searched for it like an idiot in the muddy pathway that too at 11 in the night when there was no proper illumination, knowing very well that I will not find it but there was a temporary disconnection between my mind and body. After my frustration crossed its limits I gave up my search and walked back to our tent. Layers of quilts and booties and mufflers and mittens and sweaters kept me warm. I was wondering how will I get up in the morning and walk uphill. Months of preparation seemed insufficient for this kind of weather. I dozed off thinking about the climb which was going to start in another few hours. Before I could get adjusted on the not-so-soft bed Dinesh ji woke me up. He had just had his bath and told me Anjali had gone for hers. ‘BATH !!!!! In this cold weather ? NO WAY.’ ‘ But you are going to the temple’ ‘ if I have bath I wont be able to even step out of this tent’ ‘ Kunju no one goes to temple without a bath’. Dinesh ji’s voice was getting stern and low pitched. I knew I won’t be able to convince him and didn’t want our journey to begin with a fight. I rushed in and came out in exactly 5.2 minutes as if I had to win a competition in taking the fastest bath. Dinesh ji just stared at me and did not dare to ask how I managed it. When we stepped out it was still dark. Bluish black sky, chilly winds, whispers of people, horses’ hoofs making slow and steady moves, sounds of birds and bells, black mountains surrounding us as sentinels. I could not believe we were finally going to visit the Amarnath shrine. After series of postponements and uncertainty all this seemed like a dream. We collected our walking sticks and started our journey. The plan was to stick together but I knew it will not happen. For me this pilgrimage was not just any other trip to a shrine. Life had taken several twists and turns and I was bruised and battered emotionally. I needed to be alone in this journey. Moreover Anjali wanted to walk a bit slow as she was just recouping from a long spate of illnesses. Dinesh ji stayed back to give her company and I marched ahead. There were so many people on a narrow lane. It was sometimes scary to look to the other side towards the valley as there were no proper boundary walls. I stopped few times to take some pictures but soon realised that it can be dangerous for me and others as the climb was steep and to stop at that point was like creating a road block for others. There could be a stampede. So I continued my climb. Sky was slowly turning bright blue and we could see the helicopters – red, yellow and orange. It is a fantastic facility for the old and physically challenged people. Even others used it but majority preferred to make the arduous climb. In many ways pain is a healer, a teacher or an ego booster, I don’t know, otherwise why do so many people undertake such hardships when life offers them simpler alternatives. Its not a matter of money as many who were climbing the mountains including we three could afford the helicopter ride. A difficult trek like this also speaks a lot about one’s relation to one’s body and mind- the levels of endurance that it can surpass. After giving all these reasons I reached a point where it was futile to explain an act. Many things that we do are beyond logic and reason. We just do some things because we want to do them. As I was climbing higher and higher it was getting difficult to breathe. Legs were aching badly and I was nowhere near the shrine. Journey seems longer when the distance is unknown and end is not visible. One has to just go on and on and on. I was wondering on a journey like this it makes no sense to retreat back no matter how hard the travel is or is going to be. When I looked down I saw our tents. They seemed so very far away. That gave me a little confidence. How much have I come forward… if I have energy to come this far i certainly have energy to go forward. I realised that height and distance give a unique perspective to things. I looked around. A young girl, hardly 6 years of age was walking beside her mother. She declined her father’s offer to be carried on shoulder. Holding her water bottle she did not show a sign of fatigue or irritation. Several old people were climbing slowly. Some holding each other’s hands for support, devotees shouting names of Shiva, people giving confidence to each other… ‘bas zyada nahi hai’ when actually the distance was not even half covered. Each step makes a difference. One needs to just go on. After a long uphill climb, the journey started taking a descent. I didn’t know which is better – climbing up or climbing down because feet were hurting anyways. We reached a bridge which connects first half of the journey to the second half. I wanted to stop but it was already two in the afternoon and I didn’t know how far the journey is or what lies ahead… how many mountains to climb. I drank a little water. My resources were depleting and there were no stalls where I could buy water. That was also a fear. What if I run out of water? I could always ask a fellow traveller but everyone was depended on his/her resources like me. I drank two three drops more and told myself ‘if you fall down people will give you water anyways so push your limits as far as possible’. Third phase of my journey started with a climb. And I was told that there are 7 to 8 mountains to cross. I didn’t know what to make of it. There was no sign of any cave although I heard some people say ‘ dikhi dikhi wo hai amaranth gufa !!!!!‘ . Was this an illusion, a mental projection or another method to reassure oneself and not get bogged down by the strenuous journey? I could see the helicopters going both ways and for a second I thought why am I here and not in one of those? By now I would have finished my darshan and happily gone back to my tent. I just shrugged those thoughts and continued the climb. Senses started getting numb. Mind was going blank. Mouth was parched and body was giving up. A fellow traveller must have read my face and said ‘ beta zyada door nahi hai, bas aa gae. Ek aur chadai hai bas’. I chose to believe him for my sanity. How will Anjali finish this journey? She had just recovered from jaundice and was pretty weak. I was glad that Dinesh ji was with her. Finally we crossed all the mountains and reached at a stretch of snow. This was scary. Super scary. My shoes were not equipped for this. How on earth will I cross this? And the moment I started walking on it, I heard the noise of thundering clouds. THIS IS IT. I am not going to survive this. Snow and rain… I had not even finished the sentence ‘how will i….’ and it stared pouring. I could not walk at all. Each step was like lifting 10 kilos. I walked 5 steps and I slipped. Got up. Walked another 7 and fell. My knees started aching very badly. There was no point standing even for a second as it was raining heavily. Slowly my vision was getting blurred because of fatigue. I cried loudly ‘Ammmaaaaaaaaaaaaa’. I was feeling utterly hopeless, helpless and scared. ‘Am I going to die here? ’. There was no one around and water started seeping into my shoes. It was becoming almost impossible to move from there. I pushed myself to walk. One step at a time. I must have taken 5 or 10 steps and fell down. Heavily drenched, I lay there on snow for I don’t know how long. Eyes were slowly closing and I suddenly heard two male voices. ‘Are you ok? Do you need help’ I cried to them ‘I am not able to walk. Please help me. Please’ ‘yeah yeah sure.’ One held my right hand, another left and lifted me. I felt as if Shiva has sent his two sons. I stopped crying and gathered all my strength to start again. We three walked in silence. I don’t know about them but I had no energy to say even a word. Rain had stopped. But it was really cold. We reached the edge of the sheet of ice. ‘Are you fine now?’ I smiled. They disappeared by the time I raised my head to look at them. A tear ran down my cheek. Sometimes the feeling of gratitude is so strong. I can feel it in my whole body but am unable to say anything. There were rows of shops selling things to be offered at the shrine. I did not buy anything. Didn’t feel like. My prayers, my pain, my doubts, fears, love, devotion was all that I wanted to offer at the feet of the Lord. After crossing the market lane I climbed few stairs to reach the single door from where all exits and entries to the shrine were being controlled by security personnel. We reached a bottleneck because there were many people and just one single door. People started pushing each other and slowly there was no space to even stand. I suddenly felt a strong push and fell down on ice. Both my knees felt excruciating pain. I could not get up and people had to lift me. There comes a point when the mind and body is so very tired that no amount of pain elicits a reaction. I stood on my two feet and an old lady fell on me. I got up on my own this time and heard people saying ‘bechari baar baar gir rahi hai, arre dhakkka mat do bhai’. We were waiting for the guards to clear the way so that our batch could enter. Within next 10 minutes they got the signal and we were allowed in. From there started the last phase of my journey to the shrine. Darshan. I am sure this happens with most of us. We make long lists of things to ask for, but finally when we face the god the mind goes blank. Ang Lee shared his experience of visiting a temple in India ‘One of my temple visits was most interesting. I was told that it was an easy day to visit the temple but I still had to stand for four hours in a line! It was so frustrating. I was told that on a normal day one had to wait for ten hours. But the connection that I felt after seeing the deity was worth the four hour wait. I’m not religious, but I felt this instant connection when I looked into the deity’s eyes. Even though I felt hopelessness while waiting, I saw hope once I saw the deity. It was an experience that I can’t explain.’ When I reached the shrine the first thing which came to my mind was ‘have I reached? Have I really made it’ nothing looked real. I felt as if there was another stage in my journey, which I had to cover. With this thought my mind when blank. Like a white sheet of paper. Images were just floating in front of my eyes. I had hurt the thumb of left foot. I did feel the pain but not the hurt. There was a sense of release, as if I was home. Thankfully there was no one to rush the devotees [as is generally done in big temples] I stood in front of the Linga and felt my breath. I could hear myself whispering ‘Baabaa’. Some people were talking about two white pigeons. I looked up but did not bother to pay much attention as I didn’t know the significance. It was getting cold but I didn’t want to leave. Neither did I know how long can I stay. I wanted to be alone there- just me and the mountains. I was missing my parents. Appa was an atheist when he married Amma but over the years he started believing in the Higher Power. He even spent two minutes at the alter before leaving for office. I was missing my grandparents. I was missing him… and my unborn children. I wanted to dance in abandonment. Fall at Shiva’s feet… exhausted… surrender all that was in me to call ‘mine’. Dissolve my ‘I’ in the flames of devotion. The journey was very tough and I didn’t know whether I will ever come back to this place. Sitting there alone I was feeling all kinds of emotions - sad, irritated, happy, and blessed. It was getting dark and I had to leave. I kept looking at Amarnath baba. Waiting for him to say something. To give some signal that he loves me, will always be there for me no matter what. I turned around to go. But when I was about to climb down the stairs I broke down. Sat in a corner and cried till I was exhausted. So much had happened in life. I was at the crossroads. Why was I born in human form? What was the purpose of my life? There were so many things I didn’t understand about this world, about being human, what was the big deal? I mean how would life be different if I was a butterfly or a flower or a drop of water? Why did I have to make this journey going through so much pain and hardship? Why did my soul feel at home here in this cave away from everyone ? My tears stopped. Unanswered questions just disappeared in silence. I got up and walked away. A strange feeling ran through me. Did I see MJ walking near the cave? My deep desire to see him in person was driving me crazy. It was almost a year since he died but still I was not able to believe. I kept seeing the videos of rehearsals of the tour ‘This is it’. How much he tried to get back to life after all that he went through. Death is indeed a release from this world of rules and roles. I was getting lost in those ideas when the sound of temple bells brought me back to the present moment. I climbed down the snowy stairs and walked through the passage made by cutting through the snow. It was slowly turning dark. I had no clue how I am going to go back, whether on foot or on the horse. Contacting Anjali and Dinesh ji was impossible as phones were not working. I didn’t know where they are, how long it will take them to reach the shrine, where should I wait. I felt something strange. There were hundreds of people around me but I didn’t feel scared. Everyone seemed to be a member of a big family. I was thinking of the movie ‘ Do aankhen baara haath’ the two eyes in the sky which look at the six convicts who have transformed into beautiful souls - the eyes which smile at them and also cry for them. Those six men raise their arms towards the sky, towards their Guru who is no more. I was also being protected by Baba and felt assured that no one will harm me in any way. With this belief I kept walking on the ice sheet -keeping each step very slowly. It was not raining this time but walking on the snow is very tough that too with the wrong footwear. My feet were aching very badly and I decided to sit for a while when a person sitting next to me asked ‘are you also going back?’ I nodded. ‘We all are going back together. It’s a big family. If you want you can join us.’ I was smiling to myself. In this journey whenever I felt lonely or helpless Baba sent someone. I was thinking of those two men and now this family. Soon we hired a horse for everyone. Mine was a white horse -very handsome and calm. Initially I hesitated for the horse journey, thought it is better to go back on foot but they said I wont be able to make it even by midnight and what is the guarantee that I will meet my friends. At least this way I will reach my base camp much before midnight that too with a group. I took their advice and climbed on the horse. There was a jerk for both me and Faisal ( the horse ) but we soon balanced ourselves- me on him and he on his four feet. Slowly our entourage started heading down. I felt very bad for the animal. Poor thing he deserved to just roam around in wild spaces. Be with nature. I felt bad for his owner also. What a strenuous life this is, every day up and down 28 kms. They have to not only manage the horse but also the crowd on the narrow pathways which have no boundary walls. After walking for an hour or so the horse owner ( Abdul) said we should stop for tea. I felt so happy. Nitin bhaiyya asked me if I was alright and brought tea for me. I offered to buy biscuits for everyone but he said ‘we don’t take money from sisters’ I don’t like such weird practices in society regarding women because I feel it labels them as weak but at that time I had no energy to fight to bring some kind of social transformation. This was Nitin bhaiyya’s 9th consecutive trip. He said he will try to come every year. I was shocked but didn’t show it. How could they undertake such a tough journey year after year? After crossing the sheet of ice I told myself never. Never will I come back again. But now when I look back I think I understand. It is the pain, the strenuous nature of the trip which calls people back. There is a sense of surrender in fatigue which one experiences during the journey. As we stretch our physical limits I think it also means that in some way we are expanding spiritually too. I buried my head in my knees and waited for the tea. I was missing someone. Wish he was sitting next to me. I would have put my head on his shoulder. We would have shared each other’s pain. I could feel him in the stillness of the air. Sometimes my eyes fooled me as I saw him in middle of unknown faces. It is beautiful to know someone through physical senses. But it is magical to feel him in mind by going beyond the physical. I was thinking of Ramalingaswami Adigal’s song ‘ Karpooram mannakindradu yenna udambu muzhudum’ The poet says ‘my body is smelling of camphor, the same fragrance which comes from Shiva, my husband. It is not like those smells which evaporate after a while. One feels this fragrance in one’s entire being when she has dissolved into Him completely’. Suddenly I heard ’chalo chalo lets go. Its getting very late’. Faisal and I were getting to know each other well. I was able to manoeuvre my body according to his moves. Bend back while descending bend forward when ascending. As hours passed and we kept walking in dark I felt a weird connection with the horse and his owner, with the strangers who called me their sister, with the mountains, with the invisible black starless sky. While climbing I was in utter pain, did not know how long will it take to reach the shrine. I had no company, but there was something which was pulling me towards it. And now I was getting back to my world, to my house, to my people and there was something missing. Hours passed silently and we finally reached the camping area. I told everyone that I had to get off here as my camp was at a walking distance. They said goodbye and proceeded further. I started walking alone in the dark. I was walking walking and walking but the camp was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly I realised that the topography was entirely different. I was getting scared. Where will I go in this dark? Where am I ? There were hardly any people around. It was 1230 in the night. I didn’t feel lost in the mountains but here!!!. There were two roads leading to two directions. I followed my intuition and started walking ahead without knowing where it will take me. After 10 minutes I saw few security men. They told me that I had got off 5 kms before the base camp which was not far away. I was shivering in fear. What if I had taken the other road? A car with security personnel was leaving soon. I hopped into it and got dropped near my camp. Those makeshifts camps where I had spent only few hours looked like heaven. Although Dinesh ji and Anjali were not there I knew I am safe in my tent. Slowly the body muscles were coming back to life because I could sense the pain. I applied moov, popped a combiflam and slept off. Around 2 am I sensed someone entering. I was too tired to get scared. Two shadows entered the tent and in no time they also dropped dead. Sun rays slowly tiptoed into our tent. Dinesh ji was already up and awake, all ready to step out. Anjali and I were gathering our muscles and bones which had left our bodies for sometime. In a few hours we packed our bags and started our return journey. I saw the yellow, red and orange helicopters ferrying people to the shrine and back. I wanted to jump into one of them. But I remembered someone telling me - sometimes its better not to immediately repeat the experience no matter how rich it is. It should just be allowed to slowly sink in. We were just walking around while Dinesh ji and Jafaar were getting the vehicle ready. I saw this long queue of horse owners near a make-shift office. Dinesh ji told me they are all waiting for their license which is very difficult to get. Without licence they will not be allowed in the business. Most of them were Muslims. This whole trip was for Hindus and Muslims formed an indispensable part of it. I have seen this in many places. Near many Hindu temples Muslims sell flowers or other things which are used for worship. They are only bothered about their work and no one feels threatened by the other. All the communal riots have nothing to do with the religion. They are started by people who are only bothered about themselves and exploit the vulnerability of others. If all Hindus and Muslims were thirsty for each other’s blood then places like Amarnath would have been burnt down. The absolute truth is there is nothing like Hindu or Muslim. These titles are all ideas and symbols of our mind. We drove through the fields, the mountains and the river. None of us spoke much. Driver bhaiyaa was trying to break the silence but he gave up after a while. We reached Srinagar in a few hours and headed straight to the airport… As the flight slowly ascended I was remembering Nisha didi’s words ‘ Kashmir ko meri nazar se dekhna.’. She said that because her childhood was spent in midst of majestic mountains, beautiful Dal lake, colourful Nishat garden. It is true Kashmir ( or whatever little I saw of it ) is like a mystic painting. As Bhajan Sopori ji has mentioned many times there is music in this air. One can actually hear the notes of Santoor if s(he) sits silently and allows the wind to gently murmur in the ears… I was carrying a very different image of Kashmir within me… A girl sitting in front of the Linga in Amarnath cave gently whispering ‘Chidananada Roopah Shivoham, Shivoham Chidananada Roopah Shivoham, Shivoham’.

Role of Art Education in a child’s holistic growth

Introduction :

The discourse on modernity which emphasises that human beings are geared towards creating a society based on the tenets of super speciality, objective knowledge, capitalistic drive, technical efficiency, quick results and competitive spirit leaves little space for the artistic growth. More so art is seen as antithetical in the contemporary times. It is termed as traditional, old-fashioned and highly subjective. It is also seen as a part of an elitist section of the society and not catering to the masses reducing it to be popular only amongst a selective few who are considered to be gifted with artistic sensibilities.
Art is interpreted as some kind of a luxury as against the day-to-day needs of a human being which have to be looked after first. This existential thought limits a person to strive towards acquiring a secured life (food, shelter, security), and leaves no space for him to indulge in ‘higher’ forms of aesthetic expression.
Following this line of thought the present day education system is focussed on preparing students for a highly competitive world which is structured around market driven economy. Curriculum is compartmentalised as sciences, commerce and humanities leaving no space for art education. There are hardly any schools which incorporate art education as a part of basic education system. By bracketing art forms into extra-curricular activities they are doing a lip-service to the idea of giving a child a holistic education.
This paper questions the idea of education in a child’s development. It attempts to understand the place of art in the over-all training of a student. The discussion touches upon the idea of knowledge in a curriculum based set-up, identity-formation in education, theory of multiple intelligence, the relationship between tradition and modernity, role of media in contributing towards art appreciation, parent’s contribution in nurturing the artistic sensibilities of a child and consequences of an educational system which is devoid of art,. The paper contextualises the discussion in the present day Indian society and attempts to briefly explain why and how is art a basic need of every human being.

• Idea of knowledge in a curriculum based set-up

In a country like ours - which has been nurtured by many civilisations, which speaks innumerable dialects, which practices diverse religions, which shares distinct lifestyles - it is indeed difficult to define the idea of knowledge which can be compartmentalised and presented in a concise manner within a formal education system. We are also a product of a colonial heritage which has percolated deep into the present day society. How it has affected our education system is evident from the following words of Penny Mackeon
‘Macaulay argued in 1835 that providing education based on Sanskrit and Arabic in India is of no use for India’s development, and argued instead for education based on English literature. He envisaged creating, “a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals, and in intellect”. The Minute is based on an idea that English education is not just superior in ‘science’, but would also inculcate superior morals, etc. that were responsible for making the English superior. We can see in the Minute, an early precursor for debates to come on the role of institutions in development.’
But it is important to question this very idea of development which was imposed on the people of India and its direct consequence can be seen in the way we situate our study of art in a curriculum based education. By targeting our classical languages, Macaulay hit at the very fabric that connects our multifaceted culture.
Now we are in an education system which partitions knowledge and expects children of various cultural, social and economic backgrounds to fit into a regiment which caters to a market driven society. Children are engineered to gain information and reproduce it in ways which are conducive to the present times. Britzmen comments
(This) curriculum organization is fragmented into instructional activities reduced to discrete blocks of time, thereby isolating subject areas and teachers, abstracting knowledge from its socio-cultural roots and political consequences, and decontextualizing knowledge and skills from their practical existences’
Which explains why children are made to absorb knowledge and re-cycle it rather that trained ‘how to think’ (Sullivan). The education system seems to work under a constraint of serving a dominant ideology which expects it to cater to the activities of a contemporary society. Seldom do educationists realise the purpose of education and especially the role of art in it. They neglect the fact that arts can contribute in giving a child a better sense of reality. As Don H. Krug and Nuhit Cohen Evron reflect
The arts contribute to this inquiry by adding knowledge from aesthetics, art criticism, art history, and art production. An important characteristic is its emphasis on personal and collective interpretations of a subject, idea, or theme. These interpretations help contextualize and broaden the range of meanings of a particular area of study. Interpretations through the arts can increase student’s opportunities to view realities other than as the organization of objective facts.
Different thinkers have commented on the role of art in understanding society and its relevance in education. Gandhi wanted art and higher learning to be social responsibilities only so far as they have a social utility whereas Tagore believed much of art and higher education must to be completely unrelated to society's immediate needs. Humayun Kabir explains that for

Tagore, the mind is nourished in truth; the imagination is nourished in art; and the world of relationship is nourished in sympathy for the created universe.

The aesthetic sense became the synthetic principle in his conception of holistic learning.

Earlier the Indian society functioned in a syncretic manner wherein the arts were incorporated into the daily life as a part of a child’s knowledge but now there is a clear cut demarcation wherein education is rated as essential and art as a vocation. It is this secondary treatment given to arts which curbs the artiste in many children, stifles their potential and limits their capabilities. Devi Prasad says,

We are facing the consequences of Keynesian theory which led the West towards pursuit of economic happiness and rejected morality, thus gearing education to greed and deceit

• Idea of identity

Following questions are intrinsic to the idea of education because they delve into the concept of identity – of an individual and the collective.
What kind of person is a child trained to become? How is this training addressed to her role in a collective? How is a sense of belonging inculcated in the education set -up? How does education develop a feeling of responsibility in the child towards one’s history, culture, and ethos?
School is a place where children from different backgrounds collect to share a part of them in order to re-invent themselves in the present day world. This active engagement between students is very crucial in building a sense of identity in a child. Children share a ‘syncretic experience’ which allows them to not only grow together but also develop their individual identity wherein art plays a very crucial role as it engages in

building an under- standing of the nature of perception, the capacity for reasoning (Ralph Smith 1970 )

We construct ‘stacks of knowledge’ in a system of education at various levels. Cole explains how each child is a product of a lineage which has a bears on her psyche. She brings with her a baggage of her culture and a sense of individuality which slowly flowers when she comes in contact with others. This interaction which takes place within a geographical area and a disciplined curriculum leaves lasting imprints on her which she carries forward in other walks of her life. It is this very interaction which acquires a unique dimension once art education in incorporated in it. The sensitive quality and aesthetic appeal of arts make knowledge acquisition a multi-sensory experience which not only nurtures a child’s personality but connects her to a wider spectrum called society.
The identity crisis which many children of the present generation are facing is because they are exposed to western culture on all fronts. Without being given grounding in their indigenous cultural expression in form of inputs into religion, aesthetics, art, philosophy their sensibilities are just being eroded by cultural symbols and images which do not form a part of an Indian thought. These children live here but dream of West. They are completely alienated from the cultural fabric which binds us as a thriving civilization. They have a very limited understanding of who they really are. –what does it mean to be an Indian and how has this nation evolved. It is this

‘serious shrinkage of background knowledge and information that people bring to their efforts in communicating with and understanding one another.’ (Smith 1968)

An art form is not just and expression. It is the culmination of many sensibilities across time and space. It is the crystallised form of a collective history; it is an expression of a continued dialogue between the individual and the collective. Because the child does not get introduced to different forms of arts and is only exposed to images of the here and now, her link with a cultural continuum is lost. She does not have any grounding as an individual. Neither can she relate to her past nor does she have a sense of direction regarding her future. A limited understanding of herself shrinks her world into an existentialist reality which is manipulated by the dominant forces of society. It is a calculated and well thought of agenda of these forces to keep people ignorant and culturally deplete so that they can be pushed into thinking and acting in a desired manner. People are used as puppets.
Hence it is crucial now more than ever that a child is given a sound footing in her heritage which is only possible if she is educated in arts.

•Theory of multiple intelligence

Human beings can think in myriad ways. They are a storehouse of many talents. No two human beings are the same. These sentences might sound like clichés but it is very important to understand that in the present educational system all the children are
expected to think in limited number of ways which can help them score marks in their exams and later secure a seat in a covetable university. The entire education system is geared towards pruning the sensibilities of children and preparing them for a harsh world which only understands the language of higher and higher percentages, digress from acclaimed seats of knowledge and high salary jobs in some prestigious companies. The education system does not give enough space for a child to get in touch with the artiste in her. In fact there is deliberate effort to curb the artistic potential of a child and make her master subjects which fall into the framework of the present day knowledge. Why should a child who might be good in painting, or sculpture, or dance, music made to go through the regimented course schedule of 12 years ? Why cannot she be trained in that specific area of knowledge and allowed to specialise in that field ? All the acclaimed minds in sports or arts are not university products. Point is how many individuals can afford to break away form the system and follow their pursuits – very few. It is the fault of the system which has not generated multiple systems of knowledge; Howards Gardner came up with the theory of multiple intelligences which says that IQ is not the only scale to measure a child’s intelligence. According to him, there are 7 intelligences which influence the workings of a mind. They are ,
1. Linguistic intelligence (as in a poet);
2. Logical-mathematical intelligence (as in a scientist);
3. Musical intelligence (as in a composer);
4. Spatial intelligence (as in a sculptor or airplane pilot);
5. Bodily kinesthetic intelligence (as in an athlete or dancer);
6. Interpersonal intelligence (as in a salesman or teacher);
7. Intrapersonal intelligence (exhibited by individuals with accurate views of themselves).
Since the traditional schools only emphasise on logistics and linguistic intelligence the way they teach only revolves around these two aspects. They do not explore other forms of knowledge which can train children in different skills. It is also important to understand that a child can be good in maths and also in music, she can dance and do chemistry, he can play very good piano and excel in computer networking. The education system does not bring together different intelligences thereby limiting not only the potential of the child but also the possibilities of her excelling in multiple fields.
Devi Prasad comments that

for the balanced growth of the personality of the child, the growth of the mind, and the body should be inter linked and integrate

• Relationship between tradition and modernity

Arts are treated as a mis-fit in today’s jet set world. Youngsters criticise art forms by labelling them as boring, archaic, old-fashioned, fossilised, slow, and esoteric. Parents who actually grew in a society, in which these arts thrived, are caught in their own confused state of mind as they want to connect to their children but do not want to invest time in inculcating artistic sensibilities because it takes effort and patience.
The popular belief now is to let go of past in order to connect to present in an anticipation for a better future. But this understanding of modernity is highly biased and incomplete. It emerges out of a cultural vacuum which fills the lives of many people because they have lost touch with their ethos.
A person is always a part of a legacy. The responsibility rests on the education system to preserve her legacy by teaching her how to connect to it, grow with it, embellish it and transform it into a new form with respect to space and time. If this link with the past is not established then a socio-cultural lacunae is formed which will keep widening


As Devi Prasad says

modern education based on the educational foundations laid during colonial period is expediting the rapid extinction of these traditions

Hence it becomes highly important that a conscious effort is made by policy makers, educationists, teachers and parents to incorporate art in the overall education of a child. Ralph Smith has clearly explained this in following words

The inculcation of a general capability and informed attitude toward both the art of one's own era and the art of the past in one's own and other cultures is a significant educational objective. The arts are important to the development of a rich personal lifeworld; they also contribute, together with other experiences, to an individual's ability to articulate the significance of personal life world values to others

Modernity germinated in Industrialization. Man started mastering the nature for his needs. This urge to go beyond nature, changing its motifs, modifying its expressions, bringing it into the fold of a mechanised world affected not only his relationship with nature but also how he related to fellow human beings. Human expressions which earlier tried imitating nature, which experienced her in different forms and ways, expressions which became a part of self-exploration slowly started to die out.
It is only in arts that people still see this connection between human being and nature. Art celebrates culture, which is born from the coming together of nature and human being. And Art Education is a process to understand culture. This network between human being , nature, culture and education is very important in a child’s growth and it is the responsibility of a society to nurture this network.

• Role of media in contributing towards art appreciation

Doordarshan as a public broadcaster of India is the only channel which telecasts programme on art and culture. THE HINDU is the only newspaper which focuses on cultural issues. Barring these two there is no space in print or on air which informs people about issues related to art. Contribution of Cyber space cannot be neglected but what children need is a well designed series of programmes on art and culture.
There are innumerable reality shows which claim to identify and nurture real talent in children, But at what cost? Children are put through tremendous pressure to perform well. They become stars of the nation overnight and by a popular voting are dropped out of the show the very next day hence playing as a victim into the hands of ‘consumerism of culture’.
Appalling are ways in which young children dance and sing all kinds of composition from Hindi movies. Neither do these songs suit a child’s age nor are they conducive for her /his sensibilities. But parents feel very proud that their ward is seen on a national channel. Producers of the show and cell phone companies make millions out of such shows. But the child gets victimised in many ways which does not alarm anyone. The entire nation silently witnesses innocence of young children being paraded on a television channel.
People still remember the cartoons of NFDC, aired in 1980s and 90s which talked about different issues - national integration, unity, diversity, education, team work, Simple and melodious lyrics touched everyone’s heart and communicated the message to one and all. It was a deliberate effort to educate children through stories, music and animation. The fact that people still remember those images speaks for the fact that arts can be entertaining and educative as well if packaged in a sensitive manner.

• Parent’s contribution in nurturing the artistic sensibilities of a child

Child gains knowledge from school but how this knowledge is integrated into the overall upbringing of a child is the responsibility of parents. John Dewey says that earlier there was not much difference between what the child studied and what she experienced but today there is wide gap between the two. Today’s parents want their children to master everything. They want their wards to score good marks, excel in sports, and get trained in dance or music. But most of them hardly spend time to actually understand what the child is capable of. There are parents who do make an effort to put their child for music or dance but only during vacations. The child is ‘socialized’ to think that arts are always secondary and a matter of hobby. Artistic sensibilities of children are hardly nurtured. Parents justify their act by blaming the system which insists that a child has to score 90% and above in order to get a seat in decent university for higher education. If the child fails to do so then there she/he has no future. This is entirely the fault of the system which insists on creating a work force out of its citizens. Art is never seen as a lucrative field for a job. This is partially true because there is no financial security for any artiste. Attached to this is the manner in which society rates arts. A software professional is considered to be reputed, intelligent, modern and talented but a musician is not.
It is a lack of government will to bring art and culture into the centre stage. There is no cultural policy. Setting up organisations like Sangeet Natak Akademi , Sahitya Kala Parishad will not make much difference if there is no concerted effort made by educationists, artistes, parents to urge the government to make art education mandatory.
Parents and the education system interpret art education as limited to learning some skills during few extra hours in school time table. This is a partial and shallow understanding of what art education means. It is branch of knowledge which gives a student an insight into understanding the human ontology. (Egan) Ralph Smith explains that art education is a form of value education with human experience at its centre. And it is this vintage point from where parents need to understand the place of art in a child’s upbringing.

• Consequences of an educational system which is devoid of art

The entire discussion leads to one moot question - what will happen to human society if art is not incorporated into education. Sadly there is no particular empirical way in which the consequences can be measured but this will surely affect the society in the long run. Children will loose out on cultural values. They will become puppets in the hands of a system which only wants intelligent yet unaware minds to keep the system running. Creative capabilities of children will be curbed because with creativity comes originality and the present system does not want individuals who can think on original lines. Devi Prasad reflects on why art should be made a part of curriculum.

Art is divorced from our daily life and it is necessary to incorporate it in education as its most important aim is to inculcate in every human being an awareness and sensitivity to all the aspects of our environment , and grace in everyday life

It is this lack of grace which is slowly affecting our cultural ethos. Individuals do not give importance to relationships. Values are masqueraded in the most artificial way. Importance is given to how much an individual can hoard and flaunt. Instant gratification has become the mantra of the day. The subtlety, depth, inward –looking qualities of arts are rarely nurtured in today’s child. Art education is about creativity, originality, developing a sense of wonder, persistence, and in-depth knowledge. Ralph Smith describes it as a critical activity which engages a child’s mind in description, analysis, interpretation and evaluation.
Experience in art is always a collective one which begins with an individual and spreads to everyone who comes in touch with his piece of creation. Art brings people together beyond geographical boundaries. It crosses all kinds of socio-cultural-economic barriers to connect people. Smith describes this art experiences

People can get things done n a general idea and standardized procedure but it is only when these things are absorbed in perceptual presence that a personal acquaintance is developed with the environment and the very experience becomes rich and intense

This phenomenon in philosophy of Indian art is called sadharanikaran - when a ‘particular’ becomes the ‘universal’. Art goes against the ‘atomised nature of social fabric’ and engulfs one and all in a heightened aesthetic experience.

Conclusion

Karl Marx says that
animals produce under the dominion of immediate physical need, whilst man produces even when he is free from physical need and only truly produces in freedom there from.

Like food, shelter, clothing and re-production art is a basic need of every human being. It is not related to the economic status of a person. Poor people also have their cultural expressions. With whatever little a woman has she still paints the walls of her hut with some motifs of nature.
Ralph Smith elucidates

One is reminded that "the cognitive, while contrasted with both the practical and the passive, does not exclude the sensory or the emotive, that what we know through art is felt in our bones and nerves and muscles as well as grasped by our minds, that all the sensitivity and responsiveness of the organism participates in the invention and interpretation of symbols.

Art is a human expression which reflects everything in nature and society. It is a multi-sensory experience of human sensibilities. And it is this very nature of art which makes it an inevitable part of a child’s growth. A child needs to experience herself in totality. She needs to develop a sense of wonder towards oneself and nature. She needs to grow as a sensitive human being and extend her sensitivity in everything that she does and art education gives her all possibilities for this kind of self-exploration. Avijith Pathak explains this beautifully.

To have aesthetic education is therefore, to restore meaning in life, to evolve a way of seeing, feeling and relating to the world .


BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Britzman D. (1991): Practice makes practice: A study of learning to teach, State University of New York Press, New York.
2. Cole, M. ( 1990): Cultural psychology: A once and future discipline?, Centre for Human Information Processing, University of California, San Diego.
3. Devi Prasad. (1998): Art: the basis of education, National book Trust, New Delhi
4. Egan, K. (1988): Primary understanding: Education in early childhood. Routledge, New York
5. Kabir, Humayun. (1956): ‘Continuity of Tradition in Indian Educational Thought’ , Philosophy East and West, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 13-33
6. Madeja Stanley, Kelly Harry. (1970): ‘A curriculum development model for aesthetic education’, Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 53-63
7. McKeon, Penny. (2002): ‘The Sense of Art History in Art Education’, Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 36, No. 2 pp. 98-109
8. Pathak, Avijith. (2006): Modernity, Globalization and Identity: Towards a reflexive quest, Aakar Books, New Delhi
9. Smith, Ralph, Smith Christiana M. (1970): ‘Justifying Aesthetic Education’ , Journal of Aesthetic Education, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 37-51
10. Smith, Ralph. (1968): ‘Aesthetic Criticism: The Method of Aesthetic Education’, Studies in Art Education, Vol. 9, No. pp. 12-31
11. Sullivan, Graeme. (1993): ‘Art-Based Art Education: Learning That Is Meaningful, Authentic, Critical and Pluralist’, Studies in Art Education, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 5-21

Is there a Tomorrow for the Dalits ?

Introduction
A recent report in THE HINDU carries news about five Dalit men who were lynched to death and the police sent a cow for post-mortem report. Three Dalit students in Delhi University were beaten with sticks and rods. The entire Dalit population of a village in Gujarat's Amreli district was subjected to an economic boycott — no water supply, no essential commodities, no employment, no freedom to leave the village and the District Collector did nothing. In Betul district, Madhya Pradesh, a woman member of a panchayat was raped by upper caste men and paraded naked with bells tied around her neck. This was `punishment' because she was having relationship with a man. Nothing has been done to the men who raped her.
The preamble of our constitution makes a pledge by the people of India to secure ‘justice’, ‘liberty’, ‘equality’ ‘fraternity’ for the entire society. In wake of such events these claims only seem to be reduced to clichés. Although the problem of Dalit subjugation in independent India is as old as our independence but this social phenomena goes back to the late Vedic era. The word ‘Dalit’ was not in vogue then and the society followed varna system but the roots of the present day problem were sown in that period itself. Why hasn’t our country been able to eradicate this social evil ? Even after having a Dalit as a president and a Dalit woman as one of our chief ministers why is it that millions are subjected to humiliation at various levels even today? Even after Dr B.R. Ambedkar led many Mahars to convert into Buddhism and by doing so paved a path of ‘emancipation’ why is it that even today there are equal number ( or even more) of Dalits who have no hope for a better tomorrow ? By trying to understand the magnitude of the issue at multiple levels of social interaction, the article brings together the views of various thinkers who have made detailed analyses of this issue.
How does the title ‘Dalit’ affect a social psyche
Although the Hindu community is highly stratified, the differentiations between various groups do not present themselves as apparently as in the case of Dalits. The ‘twice born’ castes do practice hierarchy but they all treat Dalits in ways which border on sub-human behaviour. When Risley conducted the census in 1901 he classified the shudras as those from whom Brahmins can take water, from whom they cannot take even water and those whose shadow if falls on Brahmin will impure the him to the extent that he will have to bathe to cleanse himself. This is certainly a blatant expression of marginalization. Since 1903 Dalits have been ascribed different titles like ‘Depressed class’, ‘Panchama’, ‘Suppressed Class’, ‘Pariahs’ etc. Simon Charsley asks the question ‘What is in the name’. But these epithets ascribed to certain sections of the society illustrate how the very psyche of a section of a society is attacked repeatedly generation after generation.


The Role of education
School is an institution where the mind of a child is groomed. S(he) is not only trained in certain skills but also exposed to realities of life which sharpen her faculties in order to develop a clear perspective about oneself and the society. It becomes imperative that children from all sections are made aware of the social differentiations so that they can play a role in eradicating them. But the present day educational system is only manufacturing intelligences in order to stunt the potential of a student to question reality thereby reducing him/her to become another tool in the mega factory of capitalistic culture. Kancha Ilaiah makes an astute observation when he writes in his book ‘Why I am not a Hindu’ that stories of Dalit Bahujans are not included in the educational system. Textbook morality is different from living morality. And hence students are distanced from the key issues of social stratification. Iliah recalls, ‘..a whole lot of us were made to see things upside down’. In such a skewed education system how can an interest in Dalit issues be created? How will the younger generations be made aware of the underlying atrocities of the society? Media and internet are possibly the only two sources through which people can get information but many times even news is reported in a biased manner. It seems there is a deliberate political project of hiding truth from people. When children prepare to enter the institutions of higher education they are segregated into various categories on the basis of reservation. It is understandable that the State is exercising certain practices under ‘positive discrimination’ but is this helping to bridge the gap between the Dalits and other sections of the society?
Emulation as a hope to get included in the mainstream
When Dalits realise that they will not be respected due to their ascribed status, they start imitating other sections of society who are treated with respect. This process stems from the stark realities of life. Gopala Guru in his article ‘Dalit Movement in Mainstream Sociology’ mentions that Dalit scenario is highlighted by total marginalisation and annihilation of the rural Dalits. B.R. Ambedkar in his book ‘Conversion as Emancipation’ recalls moments from his childhood which left an indelible mark on his psyche. No barber wanted to cut his hair. When he told a station master about his caste, the station master receded 5 steps. No bullock cart driver wanted to transport him. Such instances affected an extraordinary brain like Ambedkar then it is not hard to imagine how much ordinary Dalits must be facing. They are marginalised, excluded form developmental programmes, the rich Dalits exploit the poor Dalit. All these factors force Dalits to emulate upper caste people through Sankritization and other practices in social mobility. But even then it is only after two to three generations of such emulation that there might arise a possibility for them to be included in the mainstream. Most of them spent their entire lives hoping to be accepted.
Conversion as the extreme measure
Religion is an intrinsic part of one’s identity. But if it manacles a person, then it has to be discarded. Many Hindus are pushed to take the extreme step of conversion in a hope that at least the new religion will give them some semblance of life but the caste ascription is so hopelessly attached to a person that the situation hardly changes. Ambedkar saw conversion as an emancipatory measure because being a Hindu he felt caged in a Hindu society. The Law guarantees an untouchable ‘to wear decent clothes’ , ‘to fetch water in metal pots’, ‘to put tiles on houses’ but the society does not allow him to exercise these rights. The Law might guarantee freedom to the Untouchables but the society does not. Hence he asked in his speech delivered in Dadar on 31st May 193, if mind was not free then what is the point of having physical freedom? He said strength needs to be brought from outside and urger for the need for coversion. Three factors which according to him uplift an individual are sympathy, equality and liberty and all three are not there in Hinduism for the Untouchables. Rajni Kothari in her article ‘Rise of Dalits and the Renewed Debate on caste’ says, ‘marginalised sections have started seeking out their own future on the basis of their identity and numbers’ but it is also true that the phenomena of conversion is politically manoeuvred in order to cash on the vote bank which estranges a Dalit from one community and alienates him/her in the other.

Radical voices

‘Why I am not a Hindu’ is an example of an exposition in which the writer has targeted the Hindu scriptures, gods and goddesses, marriage system, family set-up, occupation, man-woman relationship from a highly critical standpoint. It is understandable why the narration is done with such vehemence because it voices the frustrations of many suppressed people. He talks of ‘Dalitizing the Brahmin’ and comments that Hinduism and Hindutva are the two sides of the same coin. It is understandable from which perspective is the writer commenting on the popular beliefs of the Hindus but such commentaries only widens the existing gap between the Dalits and other sections of Hindus. These narratives have their own place in the Dalit discourse and need to be contextualised. An alternative reading of the same text reveals the pain, frustration, anguish and anger which the writer is trying to communicate.

Is economic growth the solution ?

Although scholars like Gopal Guru say that economic growth is one of the major solutions for caste-based problems but the casteist politics is so deeply entrenched in society that development does not reach all the sections of Dalits society. Dalit movements with undercurrents of relative deprivation practiced by the State reveal monopolisation of available jobs by the upper castes. Within their communities relative deprivation and social mobility isolate one group form the other and prevent formulation of a critical consciousness. Possibility of development of a homogenised Dalit unity cutting across castes as well as region is suspended. Gopal Guru further adds that ‘Relative Deprivation diffuses social consciousness, promotes individual consciousness with atomising dimensions which isolates people within their community thus deviating from the historical responsibility that Ambedkar had rested on their shoulders for emancipating themselves’.

Conclusion

While the system exploits the status of Dalits it is also known that some individuals in the Dalit community exploit the system by cashing on their status for unwarranted privileges offered by the State. Reservation which started with an objective of giving justice to the oppressed sections of the society has now been reduced to a political tool to encash on people’s emotions. Unless caste is identified as a ‘disease of mind’, unless there is a multi-layered socio-cultural-political movement with a focussed approach of bringing radical transformations in the inter-personal relationship, words in India’s constitution will not be translated into action.

On religion and gender…

There is an innate need in human beings to connect to a power which is transcendental. Over millennia this power acquired a form as an icon, or as a symbol depending on the socio-cultural inputs which went into formulating a particular religion. The form bridged the gap between what human mind perceived as ethereal and material, masculine and feminine, inert and dynamic. It presented an ‘ideal type’ of what a human being wanted to be or wished to see in another human being. Hence he looked upto these forms in an act of aspiration, desire, and devotion. This relationship between the divine and the mortal grew over centuries into a social system which we now call a religion. Soon this system started churning out rules and roles for everyone. But what surfaces as the most paradoxical nature of this system is how feminine energy is projected as a divine entity and how a woman is treated in day-to day life. The article discusses the gulf between the divine nad mortal with respect to Hinduism and briefly touches on the issue o gender with respect to Islam and Christianity.

Concept of Prakriti and Purusha

Hinduism, especially Sankhya philosophy regards the universe as consisting of two realities: Purusha (consciousness) and Prakriti (phenomenal realm of matter). Purusha, the cosmic consciousness, is the basis of Prakriti, its material nature. They are the experiencer and the experienced. The play between prakriti and purusha at the philosophical level is the one between dynamics and statics, inert and covert. Cosmogony begins when Brahman the Universal Being separates the feminine principle from himself. When divided from Brahman the feminine principle becomes Prakirti, which is also often equated with maya( meaning illusion). Males contain, females are contained; males are active creative agents, females are submissive ones; male seed is the source of new life, the female womb is merely an incubator; males are allied with spiritual processes, females are allied with material—especially sexual—processes.


In Puranas the narration of creation at a cosmic level and its manifestation at the social level have many congruencies. Madeleine Biardeau, traces these patterns in her understating of the Puranas. And enumerates how starting from the abstract level of purusha and prakriti, representations of these energies turn into mythological icons which represent a social concept. The dichotomy arises when the society worships these icons with all pomp and glory but cannot place man and woman at the same level

Hindu Iconography

Lakshmi : Goddess Lakshmi is a symbol of purity, chastity and generosity. She is depicted as sitting on the Sahasrar Kamal , the thousand pettalled lotus which signifies the realisation of supreme truth. Bedecked in golden finery and dressed in auspicious red, she has four hands that symbolize her power to grant the four goals of human life- dharma, (righteousness), artha( wealth), kama(progeny) and moksha(liberation). Lkshmi holds Amrita Kalash(pot of ambrosia)and with the fourth hand gives boon of plenitude.

In India even today parents feel happy to name their girl child Lakshmi but the hard-hitting fact is that majority of girl children in rural areas are only reduces to learn house-hold chores and trained to become good mothers or wives and not pursue any profession which can give them a strong financial base. They do not have any monetary security and have to depend on the male members of the family for everything- thereby living a life of subservience. In urban India although the situation is slightly different majority of women are not empowered financially. At most of the places female workers are paid less than their male counter parts. Even at higher posts the woman has to constantly prove er merit and competence in the male dominated work place. Money also does not empower her in a complete sense because she has to face the onslaught of a dominant ideology.

Saraswati : The saara (essence) of swa( you own self). She who gives this is called Saraswati. Her four hands represent the mind, the intellect, the conditioned consciousness and the ego. The palm leaf manuscripts in the lower left hand point to the foundational role of knowledge. The rosary in the upper right hand signifies the power of focused thinking. With the other two hands the goddess holds Veena ( string instrument) thus symbolizing the need to harmonize the mind with the intellect to create the music of contentment. The instrument also establishes her as the presiding deity of all creative and performing arts.
In pre-Vedic era women were allowed to pursue knowledge. But in the Vedic times women were barred from studies of any kind. Natya Veda- the fifth Veda was composed by Bharata only because the other four Vedas- Rig, Yajur, Sama and Athrva were beyond the reach of women. Their minds were trained and nurtured only for the purpose of sustaining the basic needs of the society- food and progeny. In traditional Indian society girls were kept away from pursuing any forms of art -Music and painting to some extent but dance was a taboo for a woman who formed a part of general socity. This lacunae between what society wanted and what it practiced led to the system of Devadasis where girls were dedicated to the temple. They were at power with the priest in executing the ritual ceremonies but were not given a legitimate place in the society like other women. A devadasi was always treated as the ‘other’ as she was not allowed to marry a man in the brahminical tradition. Instead she was consecrated to the temple and married to the image of God and henceforth called ‘Nityasumangali’- eternally married. She had complete access to arts and literature but only by staying outside the boundaries of a regular society. She was treated as the bridge between the transcendental religious world and the social world , a connection between Man and God. This reduced her to an intermediate zone as far as the society was concerned. which is why the Devadasi system faced the onslaught of the Brahminical movement in late 18th and early 19th century championed by the British colonizers which finally led to the abolition of the Devadasi system. Woman has always had to choose between the two – the knowledge or the society and those who chose both have always had to tread a very difficult path in their lives.

Shakti : In her various forms, Shakti, the dynamic manifesting power of Shiva epitomizes the worship of the concept of universal mother. She is believed to incarnate on earth in different forms to relieve it from clutches of evil. As Devi Durga she is the ten-armed, lion-riding, goddess who vanquished Mahishasura the buffalo-demon. A warrior, protector, mother, wife and a daughter, Durga is the manifestation of the female godhead in its supreme form.
Contrasting images of violence against women are seen, heard and experienced everyday. Female infanticide is rampant, child marriage is still in practice, women are still tortured for dowry, prostitution levels are high and multi-layered, physical aggression, such as blows of varying intensity, burns, attempted hanging, sexual abuse and rape, psychological violence through insults, humiliation, coercion, blackmail, economic or emotional threats, and control over speech and actions. In extreme, but notunknown cases, death is the result. These expressions of violence take place in a man-woman relationship within the family, state and society. A woman is not powerful enough to fight the myriad forms of Mahishasura which confront her at various turns of life.
The seeds of violence against women are sown at a very young age in the minds of children by their own family members which metamorphose into different expression at various stages of a person’s life. Sheela Saravanan in her report on Violence Against Women in India says that

‘ the family socialises its members to accept hierarchical relations expressed in unequal
division of labour between the sexes and power over the allocation of resources. The
family and its operational unit is where the child is exposed to gender differences since
birth, and in recent times even before birth, in the form of sex-determination tests leading
to foeticide and female infanticide. The home, which is supposed to be the most secure
place, is where women are most exposed to violence. ’

Radha : The eternal love of Radha and Krishna has been the subject of great religious and philosophical imagery. It is interpreted as the relationship between the jeevatma(embodied soul) and the paramatma( universal souls) which forms the foundational basis of the Hindu Dharma. The love of Radha and Krishna is rooted in allegory. Radha is the personification of the devorted minds of the devotee, of the souls searching for the embrace of the universal spirit. Radha is the individual and Krishna is the essence of life.
Here again the imagery is crafted within a male dominated framework. There is not a single goddess in Hindu pantheon who is treated as the universal lover and man is see as the yearning spirit. Thereby the popular ideology propagates the yearning of spiritual union only as that of a female and not male.
Society worships the union of Radha and Krishna - Radha who is a married woman and even elder to Krishna -only because they are Gods. The same prototype when applied in society faces all kinds of oppositions as this kind of a relationship is termed as adultery.

Caste and Gender

There is also a deep connection between caste and gender. Caste is a ubiquitous aspect of Hindu religion. And gender is an issue within the framework of caste which faces a considerable amount of discrimination . Tracy Pintchman says

‘ there is no empirically verifiable biological basis for caste differentiation, whereas the biological realities of gender difference are obvious to all. But caste and gender tend to function socially in similar ways. Like caste, gender plays an important role in structuring social hierarchy in contemporary Indian culture, and both caste and gender have been invoked to legitimate inequitable distributions of wealth and power, differences in status, discrepancies in rights, divisions of labor, and hierarchical notions of inherent worth. ’

Perhaps one can even say that Gender is more fundamental than caste as a principle of hierarchy. And religion imposes certain measures on women to behave in a particular manner with respect to her role in a social set up. With each stage of her life she is expected to follow a set of rules which also have a significant connection with her sexuality.



Popular social codes with respect to Gender

Hinduism also lays down the dress code for a woman depending on her relationship with the man. When a girl attains puberty, indirectly meaning that she is now ready biologically to bear a child, she is required to dress as an elderly woman. Once she is married she needs to carry marks of her marital status. These symbols vary from region to region. For example in south she is expected to wear a thali (sacred thread), metti(toe rings); in Bengal she is required to wear bangles of ivory and lac, in parts of Himachal Pradesh she should wear a nose ring … there are no such rules for men in any religion. He is not ‘marked’ by society as the married one.

For widows each society again has a different code according to which the woman should detach herself from any ornamentation which adds to her physical beauty. She is divested of any ‘need’ to dress beautifully because it is believed that a woman should dress only for a man.
And these regulations for women are so much imbued n the psyche of a woman that she starts justifying them. In case any woman chooses to behave differently, she is marked as a deviant not only by men but by women as well.

Concept of Heaven and Hell

The Hindu society has been perpetuating these gender specific roles time and again. And this cycle of continuance has a deep connection with the concept of heaven and hell. It is believed in Hinduism that a son only is expected to perform the rites for the deceased so that the diceased can attain moksha(liberation). A girl is not even allowed to visit the burial ground of the dead person. This importance given to a mail child not only has connection to the death but also to birth . A son is the one who actually carries the lineage forward, not the daughter because in Hindu society it is indoctrinated in the mind of everyone that the girl does not belong to the father’s family but to the future family of her husband . Hence the seeds of separation are sown at the very beginning. Due to this belief it becomes imperative for a woman to bear a mail child and if she fails to do so she is ostracized by the society physically, and mentally.

Islam and Christianity

Similar dichotomies between deification of women and the status of women is society can be seen in Islam and Christianity as well. Many of the resurgent pre-Islamic cultural practices that have tragically come to be associated with Islam, such as forced marriages, female genital mutilation, bridal (as opposed to groom-paid) dowries, honor killings and the criminalization of rape victims, only resurfaced following the disruption caused by colonialism and the resulting disconnect between the common Muslims and their sources of knowledge. But even today majority of Muslim women are expected to wear burqa. There are no such dress codes for men. But surprisingly writers like Ben Adam validate this practice by saying that

‘ The Muslim woman who wears her hijab (meaning "to veil, to cover , to screen, to shelter"), declares her faith in humility and servitude before God. Only those given divine sanction - her immediate family and other believing women - may view her bodily beauty. In effect, she is saying: ‘Judge me for my faith, not my body - I give you no other choice.’ When faithfully implemented, as it was by its earliest adherents, Islam offers women the freedom, dignity, justice and protection that have long remained out of their reach . As for the veiled Muslim celebrating her womanhood, she is but a reflection of chastity, humility and dignity, a mirror of her devotion to and belief in God - factors which liberate, not subjugate - and for this she can expect a great reward. ’

But there are no such veils for men. Does that mean they are no devout ? does it mean that they lack in humility, dignity or devotion ?

In Christianity Mother Mary is worshipped as Virgin Mary. Why Virgin.. because female sexuality is seen as some kind of a taboo, a disgrace.. . The very process of creation is seen as an offence or wrongdoing and this basic need of the human being is always to be kept under control.
The account of the creation of Eve from Adam's rib in Genesis 2:18-25, for example, has often been invoked as evidence that women are inferior to men by nature and by divine decree. Different writers have pointed out that creation of woman from Adam's rib has been interpreted in the most literal sense for thousands of years to denote the God-given inferiority of woman. The creation of Eve from Adam's rib in Genesis echoes the male-as-container, female-as-contained imagery that is similar to the one in the Puranas. Aristotle proclaimed a similar understanding of procreation portraying the female womb as "merely the passive incubators of the male seed" that is the real source of life .

Conclusion
Hence, gender associations at play in Puranic cosmogonies and more generally in Hindu culture are not unique but exemplify much more widespread biases. Religion is a path to the divine but in society it is treated as a medium of power play which gets predominantly expressed through gender definitions.
Unless woman is treated as an equal to man no ritual, no custom, no rite can emancipate the human being to the level of spiritual being.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Adam, Ben 2006 . The Veil Unveiled: The True Status of Women in Islam available at www.Quran.nu
2. Banerji , Shyam. 2003. Hindu gods and temples, I.K. International Pvt Ltd. New Delhi
3. Website referred : www. Manushi.org

Right to one’s inner and outer Space

Catherin Mackinnon asked the question ‘Are Women Human?’ as a reaction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. It is difficult to answer this question as a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ after reading the twelve narratives of women compiled in this book. Women have always been and will continue to be human in spirit but when we place them in the discourse of human rights and analyse their lives, it is difficult to understand them as humans. While some women have continuously struggled against the dominant patriarchal paradigms, others have protected the existing system and perpetrated the dominance. While some have broken away from the heritage of oppression others have operationalised the ‘culture of silence’. While some have wrecked the chain of violence, others have played the power game and supported the status quo. The book takes the reader into a journey of self exploration wherein one is compelled to delve deep into one’s understanding of women’s rights. Should there be separate rights for women? Who made the existing rights? Does the human rights discourse actually address the day to day struggle of a woman (which actually begins from the very moment she is conceived in the womb of her mother)?

The book brings into light lives of many women which are interwoven into one another, thereby making patterns of love and hate, freedom and bondage, expression and suppression. Is woman born or made? This question is asked whenever there is a conflict between nature and culture. Woman is understood as the nurturing force of a family who needs to operate within the male oriented culture and face violations of human rights through traditional practices executed as a part of the civilization. Culture has been philosophised, formalised, institutionalised and practiced with the understanding of the male members of the society. It gets entrenched into the system to such an extent that many times a woman is criticised if she chooses to move away form it in order to find her own path. Nabaneeta Dev Sen talks about her mother who was rebuked that she had voluntarily courted widowhood as she read books and gained knowledge.

Society has always treated woman with the bias- whether it is definitional, procedural or normative. Man is seen as the ‘Self’ whereas the woman is projected as the ‘Other’ who has to either live like his shadow , be put to submission , or incorporated into the system which places her at the ‘periphery’ as against the man who occupies the ‘centre’. This gets reflected in Nabaneeta Sen’s story which describes how Amartya Sen was supportive of her scholarly endeavours but never encouraged her to take up a job. Neither did he engage with her in her creative activities but expected her to maintain an establishment for him in different parts of the world

Justice, equality, liberty, autonomy – all are visualized from male’s point of view. Spike Peterson says that inequalities at various levels in social relations have their origin in physical inequality between the man and the woman resulting in the andocentric nature of the rights. Not only do they cater to the needs and position of male members but also relegate women to a position of a receiver or a follower. This is reflected in the life of Hema Sundaram’s mother who was silenced by a stinging slap across her face whenever she tried to assert herself.
J.S. Mill in his work ‘Subjugation of Women’ says, ‘for everyone who desires power, desires it most over those who are nearest to him, with whom his life is passed, with whom he has most concerns in common and in whom any independence of his authority is oftenest likely to interfere with his individual preferences’ ( Mill, 1975). He also adds ‘Men do not want solely the obedience of women, they want their sentiments… They have therefore put everything in practice to enslave their minds.’

Human Rights have always been a mechanism to build a relationship between the individual and the collective. It is about how freedom gets mediated between the members of the society. Liberal theory goes deep into this issue of freedom. Rousseau said that it was through ‘social contract’ that the individual submitted a part of his freedom to the collective for general goodwill. He also adds that curtailing a part of individual’s freedom was actually favourable for the individual’s interest because he gained security which he didn’t have in State of Nature. The word ‘he’ is deliberately used here because this contract was not made with consent of woman. She was never ‘born free’ and has continuously been in chains. When Paine says that amongst the four basic rights human being has given up on resistance to oppression, it can be clearly seen in lives of many women because most of them silently surrender to subjugation.

Liberal theory treats human being as atomistic individual. This analogy fails to describe women’s lives which are multi-layered and multi-dimensional. It is seen in some narratives that women were indoctrinated into the system to such an extent that they started justifying it and felt liberated by surrendering to it. Vina Mazumdar narrates that when her grandfather’s grandfather died his wife decided to become sati against the wishes of her family members who tried to dissuade her. Hema Sundaram’s grandmother endured the frustrations of her husband by consoling herself that it was her ‘karma’- a belief accepted by women across different strata of society justifying the existence of all kinds of inequalities and unjust practices. Were they liberated in real sense or were they imprisoned by their own mental inhibitions? Priti Desai remembers how her mother in spite of having an emotionally distressing marriage stood by her husband in tough times as she believed in the law of karma.

Society’s hypocrisy, its brutality, its inadequacy and injustice come into fore when one sees how a woman is restricted to the private domain and how a man keeps moving in and out of the public and the private sphere. Woman has been domesticated generation after generation wherein her work was reduced to bearing children and taking care of her family. Education was inaccessible to her and her very identity was defined by her relations. Like Seetha in Ramayana if a woman decided to cross the lakshman rekha drawn by the society she was punished. Feminist critique of human rights discourse questions the very idea and construction of private as it is defined and demarcated by patriarchal norms. Making women's contribution in the private sphere invisible obscures how dependent the public sphere is on the private. Vina Mazumdar recalls how her mother ‘protected’ her father from getting entangled with the ‘anxieties’ of bringing up the five children. A wife’s suffering has been repeatedly veiled within the private sphere and kept away from the society. Hema Sundaram’s husband put her through physical abuse and when asked by his friend brushed it off by saying ‘it was something personal’. Maithreyi Krishna Raj labels her sister’s life as a classic case of ‘middle class’s woman’s oppression’ wherein she was confined to the repetitive, confining and unrewarding domesticity.

The family has been subsumed under the civil society which socialises a woman into believing that she is inferior to man. The structural functionalist reasoning given in order to maintain the hegemony of patriarchal norms has dampened the sensibilities of women time and again making them believe that there is only one way of surviving and that is through oppression. Radharani was stripped off her jewellery, her hair was chopped off, and she was made to wear the borderless white cloth when she became a widow. When Zarina Bhatty’s grandmother was widowed at the age of 18 she was forced to only wear white throughout her life and not allowed to participate in any ceremonies or rituals. Leela Gulati’s mother was pregnant at the age of 14 and by 18 she had undergone three pregnancies. Menstruating girls were treated as untouchables by the family members, says Priti Desai.

In society women were not only the followers but also agents of the patriarchal norms. Spike Peterson says that women’s lives are characterized by personal connections, attentiveness and responsibility and the ethic of care rather than ethics of rights. J.S. Mill explains ‘All the moralities tell them that it is the duty of women, and all the current sentimentalities that it is their nature, to live for others; to make complete abnegation of themselves, and to have no life but in their affections. And by their affections are meant the only ones they are allowed to have — those to the men with whom they are connected, or to the children who constitute an additional and indefeasible tie between them and a man’ (Mill 1975). This can be seen in the life of Nabaneeta Sen who is blamed for not keeping her husband happy or Hema Sundaram whose siblings did not support her decision to walk out of the marriage. ‘While the elder brothers sympathized with me, they felt that ultimately I should try to adjust at least for the sake of the boys.’

There seems to be an invisible yet deeply entrenched nexus between the State and the civil society wherein different state apparatus work together to keep women disempowered. State is both the protector and violator of human rights and it changes its role depending on how well it serves the patriarchy. ‘ostensible individualism and egalitarianism of liberal theory obscures the patriarchal reality’ says, Carole Pateman (Patemen 1989) and she questions the possibility to achieve political equality without obtaining equality in private and public spheres. Female is seen as nature, personal, emotional, private, intuitional, moral, ascribed driven by love whereas male is defined as culture, political , public, achievement, who is driven by reason. When the two entities are diametrically opposed to each other and then how can there be a common set of human rights addressing their problems? There has to be a different kind of engagement within human rights discourse to identify and formulate Rights for women. And it will happen when every oppressed woman like Leela Gulati’s mother realises that the ‘mistakes’ of her life are not her own making but are the products of institutionalised discrimination against Indian women.

The book also brings together stories of women who not only were denied property rights and but also considered as property. Women across time space and cultures have been de-humanised and their individuality bartered between members of family, society and nation. Zarina Bhatty’s mother was not given any share of her dowry despite of the Islamic law in her favour. Leela Gulati informs about her rigidly patriarchal family, with lineage and property passing through the male line. Her mother was refused the house which her father had built with her gold. Mary Roy challenged the Travancore Christian Succession Act which violated her right to her father’s property.

The twelve narratives not only bring together the pain, sorrow, humiliation, suffering of women but also highlight how many of them decided to break away from the ‘culture of silence’. There have been women like Radharani’s mother-in-law and Vina Mazumdar’s Peshima who fought for the education of children especially girls and brought a change in the system which sowed the seeds of ‘critical consciousness’ in the future generations. The book salutes to the indomitable spirit of women who re-defined ‘human’. It is a dedication to all those souls who had to go through continuous cycles of suffering.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Friere Paolo, ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’, London, Penguin Boooks 1998

2. Mill, J S ‘ Subjection of women’, London, OUP, 1975

3. Mackinnon, Carol ‘ Are Women Human’ in Refelctions on the Univesal Declaration of Human Rights , Martnus Nijhoff Publishers, The Hague, 1999

4. Peterson, Spike and Parisi Laura ‘Are women human? It’s not an academic question’ in ‘Human Rights fifty years on A reappraisal ed. by Tony Evans 1998 Manchester University Press, Manchester