why kali won't rage

8/10/2019 why kali won't rage

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Why Kali Won't Rage: A Critique of Indian Feminism.

by Rita Banerji Cal!utta India

htt":##$$$.genderforum.org#no%!a!he#issues#"assages&to&india#$hy&ali&

$ont&rage#"age#(#

). *$o unique fa!tors distinguish Indian feminism from the feminism in the

$est. +ne it reje!ts the notion of a dee"&rooted tradition&fed gender

hierar!hy in India de,ned dominated and e-"loited by men. e!ondly / it

does not as!ribe the abysmal state of $omen in India to longstanding

"atriar!hal o""ression and hen!e sees no reason to rage against it. While to

$estern feminists these fa!tors might seem oddly "er"le-ing there is $ithin

Indian feminism a rationali0ation of these outloos.

1. uma Chitnis in Feminism In India a !om"ilation of 2some of the most

in3uential $ritings on the !on!e"t of feminism in India4 5Chaudhuri )6

des!ribes ho$ on!e $hile attending an international seminar on gender roles

in Canada she $as a!utely !ons!ious of the fa!t that $hile the $estern

feminists there laun!hed an 2angry tirade4 against the "atriar!hies in their

!ountries she felt no su!h anger to$ards the "atriar!hy in her o$n !ountry.

he goes on to elaborate on Indian $omen7s general 2disa""ro8al of 9the

$estern feminist anger4 and their 2!onfused rea!tion to the 9$estern

feminist em"hasis on "atriar!hy 9; "arti!ularly on men as the "rin!i"al

o""ressors4 5Chitnis (&)erent in India from the issues in the $est.4 he "oints out

that histori!ally India has 2al$ays been 9a highly hierar!hi!al 9so!iety4 $ith

the hierar!hies maintained through !ustoms and so!ial beha8ioral !odes.

he also notes that unlie the $est $here indi8iduality and "ersonal freedom

are em"hasi0ed Indians !herish 8alues lie submission to su"eriors 2self&

denial4 and 2sublimating the 9indi8idual ego.4 In other $ords Indian so!iety

is so!iologi!ally and "sy!hologi!ally a!!limati0ed to the notion of a strati,ed

so!ial order and $hat may a""ear as gender hierar!hy to an outsider is

sim"ly regarded as !ultural obser8an!es by Indians. Also $hat $esterners

may read as a forfeiting of the indi8idual self is regarded by Indian $omen as

a "rioriti0ing of family and !ommunity o8er the indi8idual. ?en!e they see it

as maing a !hoi!e in fa8or of the larger good.

@. Chitnis further justi,es this "ers"e!ti8e of Indian feminism by arguing that

after Inde"enden!e the Indian !onstitution 2granted $omen "oliti!al status

fully equal to that of men. 9And thus Indian $omen did not ha8e to bear the

ind of injusti!es that $omen in the West had to su>er be!ause of the 9;

ga" bet$een "oliti!al ideals and realities.4 he !ontends that sin!e

Inde"enden!e in )@ the Indian go8ernment has through its series of Fi8e
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India lags far behind the others in 8ie$ of ho$ mu!h of this gro$th is

in!lusi8e of $omen 5Rajadhyasha6. Women o!!u"y only ))M of "oliti!al

oN!es in India !om"ared to 1)M in China. India also has one of the lo$est

female litera!y rates in the $orld and in 1


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tantamount to negligent homi!ide 5JLICHF )16. A 1ensi8e

against $hat they see as their outright "erse!ution by Indian $omen. *hey

ha8e formed an in3uential and e>e!ti8e lobby to mitigate one of the most

!riti!al domesti! 8iolen!e la$s in India / the @(A . *heir !laim is that $omen

are ram"antly ,ling false !ases of domesti! abuse and harassment and that

men are the 28i!tims of gender&biased la$s4 . H8en if there $ere su!h !ases

the "roblem !learly is in the im"lementation of the la$ and in the failure of

the "oli!e and the !ourts to eN!iently in8estigate and ,le the legitimate

!om"laints brought forth. et the anti&@(A lobby $as so fo!used and

"o$erful in its net$oring and !am"aigning that it $as able to e>e!ti8ely

ha8e its !ase "resented for hearing before the Indian Darliament.

)=. *he resistan!e to the anti&@(A lobby from $omen7s grou"s $as errati!

$ea and ine>e!ti8e. In fa!t e8en the Dresident of India a $oman and a

la$yer at that seemed to agree that men are justi,ed in their !om"laints of

being abused by $omen $ho $ere misusing the la$ to "erse!ute them. In an

inter8ie$ she said that domesti! 8iolen!e la$s lie the @(a $ere 2subje!ted

to distortion and misuse to $rea "etty 8engean!e and to settle s!ores4


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5Ram6. *he u"reme Court of India on its "art has urged the go8ernment of

India to mitigate the @(A arguing that the !ourts 2!ome a!ross a large

number of su!h !om"laints $hi!h are not e8en bona ,de and are ,led $ith

oblique moti8es 9and that for the !ourt 9; to ,nd out the truth is a

?er!ulean tas in a majority of these !om"laints 9; Criminal trials lead to

immense su>ering 9; 9and e8en ultimate a!quittal in the trial may not beable to $i"e out the dee" s!ars of ignominy 9from a!!used husbands and

their families4 5*he *imes of India Amend So$ry Oa$6. In a !ountry $here

life and sur8i8al has be!ome a fundamental issue for $omen $here do$ry

related 8iolen!e and murders ha8e risen at su!h monstrous rates they78e

assumed the a""earan!e of an e"idemi! ho$ does a la$ for the "rote!tion of

$omen !ome under the s!anner and not "ro8oe a furious and outright re8olt

among $omen7s grou"sU

)@. +ne of the most ob8ious reasons for the "assi8ity of Indian $omen in the

fa!e of su!h e-treme tyranny is that this is a so!ially and !ulturally

!onditioned res"onse. in!e gender is e>e!ti8ely a !ultural !onstru!t it is!ustomary for girls and $omen to assume a !ode of beha8ior and res"onse

that is ty"i,ed for "eo"le of their gender in their o$n !ommunities 5Cra$ford

11&1=6. *he an!ient religious te-t of India *he Oa$s of anu "ro8ides the

"rototy"e for the ideal Indian $oman:

A girl a young $oman or e8en an old $oman should not do

anything inde"endently e8en in her o$n house. In !hildhood a $oman should

be under her father7s !ontrol in youth under her husband7s and $hen her

husband is dead under her sons7. he should not ha8e inde"enden!e. A

$oman should not try to se"arate herself from her father her husband or

her sons for her se"aration from them $ould mae both her o$n and her

husband7s families !ontem"tible. he should al$ays be !heerful and !le8er

at household a>airsV she should ee" her utensils $ell "olished and not ha8e

too free a hand in s"ending. When her father or her brother $ith her father7s

"ermission gi8es her to someone 9in marriage she should obey that man

$hile he is ali8e and not 8iolate her 8o$ to him 9e8en $hen he is dead. A

8irtuous $ife should !onstantly ser8e her husband lie a god e8en if he

beha8es badly freely indulges his lust and is de8oid of any good qualities

9; It is be!ause a $ife obeys her husband that she is e-alted in hea8en

5Soniger ))E6.

)E. So!ility is still the most e-alted "ersonality trait in Indian $omen and a

mu!h sought after attribute in "ros"e!ti8e brides in the matrimonial !olumns

of Indian ne$s"a"ers. H8en $hen the "ros"e!ti8e bride is a !areer $oman

she is e-"e!ted to 2also4 be 2domesti!4 / a $ord that im"lies !om"lian!y.

+ne of the "rimary reasons $hy families resist edu!ating girls and are een

to marry their daughters o> at a younger age is that the younger and less&

edu!ated she is the more she is regarded as being tame and easy to !ontrol.


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?en!e these are the brides "referred by the husbands and in&la$s.

)G. *he abo8e "assage from *he Oa$s of anu also "ro8es $hat theories of

"ersonality de8elo"ment indi!ate && that built into e-"e!tant gender roles are

the so!ial 8aluations of the gender that is ho$ inferior or su"erior a gender

is raned in a !ulture. In fa!t Indian religious te-ts e-"ound on the inferiorityof $omen e-tensi8ely. A!!ording to ?indu !reation theory $omen $ere

!reated from the lo$est and most im"ure "art of the body / the feet. arious

te-ts des!ribe $omen as lustful la0y "o$er hungry de!eitful mali!ious

and 8engeful by nature 9; 9and men are ad8ised to ee" guard on $omen

at all times or they $ould bring great distress to the family 9;4 5Banerji e-

and Do$er ) sin!e there is an im"ulsi8e adheren!e to sti"ulated so!ial

beha8ior and gender roles that is resistant to rational e-amination and!hange 5As"y G6. Indeed Indian $omen7s refusal to rage itself is an indi!ator

of internali0ed subordination. tudies of human so!ial beha8ior sho$ that

anger as an emotion is usually "ermitted to grou"s only in the u""er rungs of

so!iety sin!e it indi!ates so!ial "o$er 5*idens6 as indeed the anti&@(A

men7s lobby demonstrates. +n the other hand the a""ro"riate emotions

allo$ed for the subordinate grou"s are sadness and remorse. *hese not


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sur"risingly are the most often e-"ressed emotions by Indian $omen in the

!onte-t of their dismal state.

)(. *he Indian $omen7s refusal to rage besides being a !ulturally instilled

res"onse and a sym"tom of internali0ed subordination might also be a

histori!ally ado"ted strategy of sur8i8ing an aggressi8e "atriar!hy.ubmissi8eness often is a strategy for sur8i8al in the fa!e of the most

e-treme forms of 8iolen!e ones that dire!tly threaten sur8i8al. ?ere "assi8ity

be!omes a learned res"onse. i!tims learn to be!ome "assi8e $hen they are

re"eatedly made "o$erless through the in3i!tion of 8iolen!e or their

resistan!e is 8iolently !rushed if and $hen they try to raise obje!tions or

resist their o""ressors 5Pones )()6. *here are other indi!ators for this in the

res"onse of Indian $omen to traditional "atriar!hy. *hese res"onses are

sym"tomati! of Battered Women7s yndrome and the question that needs to

be e-amined is are these also e8ident at a !olle!ti8e le8el and in the

$omen7s mo8ement in IndiaU +ne of these sym"toms is the in!lination to

romanti!i0e e-istent gender dynami!s $hile the other is a tenden!y to self&blame 5Follingstand6.

). Women7s rights a!ti8ists in India often deny the "o$er "lay of a 8iolent

"atriar!hy in India and go to great lengths to e-"ound on indeed

romanti!i0e ho$ Indian men ha8e histori!ally fought for $omen7s rights in

India. ?o$e8er many of the issues that indi8idual male a!ti8ists had

!am"aigned against during the British !olonial "eriod su!h as sati the

burning ali8e of a $ido$ on her husband7s "yre $ere not so mu!h a $oman7s

right issue as a human rights one. *he equi8alent for e-am"le $ould be the

,ght against $it!h burning in the Jnited tates. Furthermore the "resen!e of

a fe$ so!ial male a!ti8ists is not re"resentati8e of ho$ Indian men in general

felt about or res"onded to the re"ressi8e often inhuman !ustoms targeted at

$omen. Suring the British !olonial "eriod there $as tremendous resentment

among the Indian men to the attem"ts to en!ourage edu!ation of girls and

$omen in their !ommunities. en felt their !on8entional "ositions of "o$er

threatened by edu!ated $omen and !ontended that edu!ation ruined Indian

$omen by stri""ing them of traditional 8alues and $esterni0ing them su!h

that they negle!ted to satisfa!torily ful,ll their domesti! duties. *he "oliti!al

and e!onomi! autonomy of $omen $as an idea that $as un"alatable to e8en

some of the most "rominent so!ial and "oliti!al ,gures of this time lie

andhi $ho also maintained that $omen7s rightful "la!e $as the home andthat their strength $as in $oring to ser8e the family and !ommunity

5Banerji e- and Do$er 1E


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1=. *here are indeed um"teen la$s and authori0ed "ro8isions for $omen in

India as is often "ointed out. But the reason most $omen don7t a8ail of them

is be!ause far from being a sour!e of "rote!tion and em"o$erment they ,nd

the legal and !riminal system maes them e8en more 8ulnerable to abuse.

*he manner in $hi!h these la$s are o8ertly disregarded or 3outed by the

8ery agen!ies meant to u"hold them lie the "oli!e and judi!iary reinfor!esthe message of the auto!rati! "o$er and ruthlessness of a "atriar!hal

system. A majority of ra"e !ases in India are ne8er e8en ,led $ith the "oli!e.

*he general fear "arti!ularly among the $omen of the lo$er e!onomi!

strata is not just that the "oli!e $ill disregard their !om"laints but that they

might see it as moti8e for ra"e. *here ha8e been numerous !ases of $omen

being ra"ed by the "oli!e $hen they $ent in to ,le a ra"e !harge 5*he *imes

of India irl Who A!!used6. In 1ort in !atering to the demands of dalit men as $ell as u""er

!aste men. he has ho$e8er sho$n no interest in e8en addressing the issues

o""ressing $omen let alone a resol8e to "ro8ide a safer and more gender&

just go8ernan!e for the $omen in her state. What female "oliti!ians in India

understand $ell is that they may be $omen but their "osition and "o$er is

de"endent only on their ability to a!no$ledge and ser8e the dominion of the

"atriar!hy. Indeed no female "oliti!ian in India !ould e8er ho"e to !ome to

"o$er by announ!ing gender&equality as her "oliti!al agenda.

1E. *he frequen!y $ith $hi!h $omen turn on $omen in India $here mothers&

in&la$ and sisters&in&la$ "arti!i"ate in the grou" abuse and do$ry murders of

married $omen is "robably one the most glaring signs of a des"oti! and

dangerous "atriar!hy. iuliana *edes!hi a holo!aust sur8i8or in an

autobiogra"hi!al a!!ount des!ribed her e-"erien!e in the $omen7s !am" at


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Birenau. he tals about $hat ha""ens $hen $omen ,nd themsel8es

"risoners of a des"erate situation $here their 8ery sur8i8al be!omes a

sour!e of !om"etition among them. 2H-as"erated the mass of bodies

be!ame bestial or mad and in this hell !on3i!ts of ra!e !lass and !hara!ter

e-"loded 8iolently. H8en "rison friends;had moments $hen they $ere

o8er!ome by bestiality 9;4 51


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$hi!h is re3e!ted in an e-traordinary in!rease in the "ra!ti!es of hy"ergamy

!hild marriages and sati as obser8ed in this "eriod 5Bhatta!harya ))6.

1. We !ould "robably add to this list female infanti!ide as $ell. Lot only is

there a religious san!tion of this "ra!ti!e in the edas / the s!ri"tures of the

highly "atriar!hal edi! !ommunities that dates ba! to the ,rst millenniumB.C. but as some of the earliest oN!ial !ensus re!ords in the late nineteenth

!entury under the Colonial British go8ernment sho$ that the systemati!

"ra!ti!e of femi!ide in India had already resulted in a highly se$ed gender

ratio. *he )ragemo8ement in Hngland se8eral $omen7s organi0ations su!h as the Women7s

Indian Asso!iation ahi amiti and the All India uslim Oadies Conferen!e

emerged all o8er India. *his rising 8oi!e of $omen in India $as not only

!hallenging the o""ressi8e traditions against $omen 5su!h as sati6 and

demanding fundamental rights su!h as the right to edu!ation and "ro"erty

but they $ere also "ushing for their right to equal "arti!i"ation in the "ubli!

s"here / su!h as in the right to 8ote to join "oliti!s and the right to $or. But

$hat $as "arti!ularly un"re!edented in this "eriod $as the number of

autobiogra"hi!al boos "ublished by Indian $omen. In these boos $omen

freely 8ented their o"inions and feelings and des!ribed ho$ as house$i8es

they $ere literally treated lie sla8es and made to ser8e the demands of

large e-tended families ho$ it a>e!ted their health and $ell&being their

brutal e-"erien!es as $ido$s their su>o!ation by traditions that "rohibited

them from going outside the house or meeting "eo"le or tra8eling or e8en

getting an edu!ation or a job. Women $riters from this "eriod $ere o"enly

!riti!al of traditions that !rushed Indian $omen. Dandita Ramabai !alled the

"ra!ti!e of segregating $omen in s"e!ial quarters as 2shameful4 and a

terrible 2!ruelty.4 Kru"abai atthianadhan $as !riti!al of ho$ Indians raised

their daughters lie 2inferior4 beings. ibha8ari hirurar taled about ho$ it

$as Indian men7s egos that se-ually 8iolated and re"ressed $omen. *here is

2an unmistaable fury in the $ritings of many $omen4 in this "eriod a furythat is not !ontained that does not !ringe from o"enly !onfronting the Indian

male "atriar!hy and emerges in fearless and e-"li!it e-"ressions 5Banerji

e- and Do$er 1E1&1GE6.

=). Indeed $hat is "arti!ularly !urious is ho$ this 8oi!e and fury of Indian

$omen fell silent soon after India7s inde"enden!e. Indeed des"ite the

es!alating 8iolen!e against $omen in India today $ith "ra!ti!es lie do$ry


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use aggressi8e "ubli! and media "ro"aganda to !reate a so!ial and

"sy!hologi!al en8ironment of a!!e"tability su""ort and esteem for those

$ho do 8iolate gender norms. *he fe$ attem"ts to engage $ith the "ubli! on

gender issues ha8e been indire!t and suggesti8e lie 2a8e the girl !hild.4

tudies sho$ that messages that are u"front and e-"li!it that do not shy

a$ay from stating to the "ubli! $hat is una!!e"table about gender basedbeliefs or "ra!ti!es are far more e>e!ti8e and im"a!tful 5Lorris6. o a more

a""ro"riate "ubli! message $ould be: 2Killing your girl !hild is a !rime.4 2If

you ill your girl !hild you $ill go to jail.4 Hqually im"ortant is the ne!essity

for the feminist mo8ement to demand full a!!ountability from the !riminal

and legal systems on their utter failure to im"lement la$s or to safeguard

$omen in India and !om"el them to ful,ll their roles.

Wors Cited

Agal Renu. 2India7s TBride Buying7 Country.4 BBC Le$s outh Asia. A"ril


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$$$.tehela.!om#story%main@


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Lorris D.5editor6. Women edia and Doliti!s. Le$ or: +-ford Jni8ersity

Dress ).

Rajadhyasha adha8i. 2Hmerging India Oea8es Women +ut of *he Ooo".4

*he *imes +f India. ay


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&&&& . 2JLA *o Fo!us on India7s Child arriage Ills.4 *he *imes of India.

e"tember 1


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JLICHF. *he tate of the World's Children: Women and Children *he Souble

Si8idend of ender Hquality. outh Asia Hdition. 1

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why kali won't rage