BOOK REVIEW

gender stereotypes. The contradiction

between her public persona and her private self as depicted by Devi and her
compelling mixture of fact and fantasy
brings to the fore a strong and empowered woman. Similarly, the analysis of
the short story Draupadi makes a similar point. Chakravarty concludes:

Womens Struggles
Many Dimensions
Vimala Ramachandran

ome time ago a young feminist

PhD scholar interviewed me about
the ups and downs of the womens
movement. I had just finished reading
Interrogating Womens Leadership and
Empowerment and was mulling over the
words empowerment and leadership,
In the 1970s, 1980s and even until the end
of the 1990s the word empowerment was
synonymous with collective action. In
2015, it is being used to signify the journey
of individuals. Towards the mid-1970s it
was used with much anticipation and
hope. We really believed that empowerment was about women gaining greater
control of their lives as a group. The process
of sharing ones personal situations and
journeys enabled us to move out of the this
is my problem syndrome to one of understanding the social and economic situation and locating it in the specific context
of community, region or economic status.
This is indeed a remarkable collection
of essays, one that takes us through different perspectives of struggles for equality
and empowerment. Starting with an insightful essay by Devaki Jain, it enables
us to see through the eyes of a wide
range of scholars and activists. Omita
Goyals effort to capture different voices
is indeed commendable and Malavika
Karlekars introduction weaves them
together to get us started. In this review
I reflect on the essays that captured my
attention and forced me to think.
Dalit Womens Language
Among the most interesting essays is the
one by Gopal Guru on Dalit women and
their relationship with women leaders of
their collective and the men of their community. Dalit women labourers draw their
power as well as their status from the work
they do. As Guru succinctly puts it:
They cannot escape this work simply because,
among other things, their existential need to
reproduce themselves individually (survival)
forces them into such physically and morally
tormenting labour. It is this experience,
Economic & Political Weekly

EPW

december 12, 2015

Interrogating Womens Leadership and

Empowerment edited by Omita Goyal, New Delhi: Sage
Publications, first published in 2015; pp 265, hardback Rs 895.
which is inherent in labouring activity that
triggers off the intellectual imagination involving a search for an emancipatory alternative...It is the collective nature of labour...
that makes knowledge generation a participatory activity (pp 5860).

Guru dwells on the power of their

language that is born out of their experience. Yet, these very same women are
trapped in a patriarchal relationship with
both the leaders of their collective and
the men in their family/community. This
is an ironical situation. The undervaluing
of the oral tradition and the primacy of
the written word and the more educated
effectively robs them of the raw power
that they potentially have. Notwithstanding these contradictions, the voice of Dalit
women leaders shines through poetry,
songs and paintings. I found this essay
fascinating and thought-provoking.
Silence Lifted
Gurus piece complements Uma Chakravartys essay on Dalit womens literature.
She argues that Dalit womens perspectives and their awareness of their difference from the middle class feminist movement came to the fore after the 1990s
when their silenced voices found release
through literature and their own narratives. Their demand to acknowledge and
include caste-based exploitation and discrimination as an integral part of womens
struggles not only strengthened the
womens movement but more importantly
forced us to look at gender within the complex web of caste, class and community.
Radha Chakravartys essay on Mahasweta Devi is an interesting one. Regardless of Devis insistence that When I write
I never think of myself as a woman
(p 123), the author shows that in fact Devi
had a sense of gender relations in todays
parlance. The Rani of Jhansi defies
vol l no 50

For in Mahaswetas fiction, the narrativisation of history represents a mixing of memory

with desire, an evocation of the past in order
to articulate our desires for the present and
our dreams of the future... (pp 13132).

This essay is one of the most interesting in

this volume.
There are three essays based on the
historical experience of field level initiatives. Padmini Swaminathan uses two
case studies to juxtapose different approachesone of the M V Foundation
that foregrounds collective action and
the other of the government approach of
delivering welfare. While the latter is
neither discussed in detail nor analysed,
the take-home message is clearly one of
importance of involving women in collective action as well as collective discovery
of their strengths. Renana Jhabwala
reflects on the journey of Self-Employed
Womens Association (SEWA) to make an
important point: the relationship between leaders and movements is a twoway process with one shaping the other.
The movement throws up new generations of leaders and these leaders, in turn,
give new directions and open new pathways. Given the experience of the author, this essay could have given greater
insights. J Devikas essay on the experience of women panchayat leaders of Kerala brings out the subtle conflicts experienced by Dalit women leaders and the
complicated relationship with other
women/other communities in their area.
Agency of Men
MalavikaKarlekars narrative of early
women doctors is a window into an era
that is long past and the journey of
doctors Kadambini Ganguly and Anandibai
Joshi. The personal struggles of Anandibai,
the difficulty of striking a fine balance
between liberal values that education
brings with patriarchal notions of what
women should wear, how they should
interact with others and the overall
37

BOOK REVIEW

demeanour they present. Both women

were pioneers and reached where they
did because of husbands who dreamt for
them. Sudha Pais essay on women leaders
in Indian politics also brings forth the
agency of husband, father or other men
in the family of women in policies. While
education and greater democratisation
may have created opportunities, womens
entry into higher levels of political leadership is deeply embedded in patriarchal
structures. In contrast, the women elected
to the panchayat under the mandatory
reservation quotas are a relatively mixed
bag. Pai concludes that notwithstanding
reservations and quotas, dynastic succession or family connections remain an
important avenue through which women
leaders have emerged (p 117).
Crafts and Music
A brief reviewsuch as thiscannot really
do justice to the richness of the essays in
this volume. Ritu Sethis essay on women
who shaped the way in craft gives us a
glimpse of the grand leaders of swadeshi
like Kamaladevi Chattopadhayay, Rukmini

Devi Arundale and Pupul Jayakar and

underscores the historical importance of
the three women in beating a path for the
revival of ancient crafts and skills. She
comes closer to our times by discussing the
contribution of Aruna and Bunker Roy, the
SEWA team led by Elaben Bhatt, Laila
Tyabji, Jaya Jaitley and many more. The
historical sweep is complemented by Ashish
Mohan Khokars essay on Rukmini Devi
Arundale, Sarah Rahman Niazis essay on
women performers and Kumud Diwan Jha
on women musicians. The essays on the
world of arts are indeed a precious collectionthat reminds us that there are many
dimensions to empowerment. The combined impact of women in different walks
of life and in different spheres of our society
has effectively propelled us to move forward.
The book reminds us that struggle for
equality and dignity is not one-dimensional,
and women have fought on several fronts,
some silently and others more vocally.

Singhs lone essay on the legal system

and sexual assault laws could have been
complemented with a few essays on how
the shroud of silence was lifted off the world
of sexual abuse and violence. For hundreds
of years women were forced to suffer violence and abuse within the fold of shame
and family honour. It has taken a long time
to gradually peel off these socially imposed
layers of shame and honourand we still
have a long way to go. Similarly, the
world of media and cinema has also contributed in a big way to breaking the silence
on many issues that were brushed under
the carpetespecially those related to
sexuality and womens body; the struggle
within the four walls of the house; the increasing workload of women within the
home and in the workplace and so on.
Perhaps Goyal could contemplate
another volume that explores other
dimensions of womens struggle for
empowerment.

Women and the Legal System

Vimala Ramachandran (vimalar.ramachandran@

gmail.com) is with the National University for
Educational Planning and Administration,
New Delhi.

Perhaps there is more room to explore

other aspects of womens struggle. Kirti

Books Received
Akerlof, George A and Robert J Shiller (2015);
Phishing for Phools: The Economics of Manipulation and Deception, UK: Princeton University
Press; pp xvi + 272, 16.95 (cloth).
Barnes, Ashleigh (ed) (2015); Feminisms of Discontent: Global Contestations, New Delhi: Oxford
University Press; pp xxii + 252, Rs 850.
Bhattacharya, Jayati and Coonoor Kripalani (eds)
(2015); Indian and Chinese Immigrant Communities: Comparative Perspectives, Anthem India
Press; pp xxi + 305, Rs 595.
Chaturvedi, Arpit (2016); Our Egalitarian Universe,
Delhi: Kalpaz Publications; pp 197, Rs 250.
Cullet, Philippe and Lovleen Bhullar (eds) (2015);
Sanitation Law and Policy in India: An Introduction to Basic Instruments, New Delhi: Oxford
University Press; pp xx + 510, Rs 1,195.
Doniger, Wendy (2015); The Hindus: An Alternative
History, New Delhi: Speaking Tiger Publishing;
pp xviii + 779, Rs 799.
Fatima, Iffat and Syeda Saiyidain Hameed (eds)
(2015); Bread Beauty Revolution: Khwaja
Ahmad Abbas 19141987, New Delhi: Tulika
Books; pp 211, Rs 1,500.
Feldhaus, Anne, Ramdas Atkar and Rajaram Zagade
(eds and translated) (2015); Say to the Sun, Dont
Rise, and to the Moon, Dont Set: Two Oral
Narratives from the Countryside of Maharashtra, Delhi: Primus Books; pp xii + 613, Rs 2,395.
Gautam, Pinki (2015); National Human Rights Commission: An Assessment (A Study of Its Working
from 1994 to 1999), New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House; pp 197, Rs 492.
George, Susan (2015); Shadow Sovereigns: How
Global Corporations Are Seizing Power, UK:
Polity Press; pp 192, 12.99 (pb) / 45 (hb).

38

Gill, P P S (2015); PunjabA Frozen Tear: Hopes

and Despairs of Farmers, Chandigarh: Centre
for Research in Rural and Industrial Development; pp xxii + 267, Rs 800 / US$ 20.
Gokhale, Pradeep P (2015); Lokayata / Carvaka:
A Philosophical Inquiry, New Delhi: Oxford
University Press; pp xiv + 222, Rs 750.
Gudavarthy, Ajay (2015); Cultural Politics of
Modern India, Delhi: Aakar Books; pp 246,
Rs 695.
Gulati, Mahinder N (2015); Riddles of Nature, New
Delhi: Gyan Publishing House; pp 232, Rs 750.
Hasan, Tariq (2015); Colonialism and the Call to
Jihad in British India, New Delhi: Sage Publications; pp xi + 214, Rs 695.
Jain, Devaki and C P Sujaya (eds) (2015); Indian
Women: Contemporary Essays, New Delhi:
Publication Division, Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting; pp xi + 235, Rs 335.
Jal, Murzban (2015); Why We Are Not Hindus, Delhi:
Aakar Books; pp 144, Rs 395.
Jeffrey, Robin and Ronojoy Sen (eds) (2015); Media
at Work in China and India: Discovering and
Dissecting, New Delhi: Sage Publications;
pp xliv + 347, Rs 995.
Jr, Joel K Bourne (2015); The End of Plenty: The
Race to Feed a Crowded World, New Delhi:
Speaking Tiger; pp 408, Rs 499.
Kumar, Abhay and Surjith Karthikeyan (2015);
Environmental Policies in India, New Delhi:
Gyan Publishing House; pp 176, Rs 520.
Malhotra, Rashpal and Sucha Singh Gill (eds)
(2015); Look and Act East Policy: Potentials and
Constraints, Chandigarh: Centre for Research
in Rural and Industrial Development; pp xxxxiv
+ 286, Rs 595/US$ 15.

Mathur, Nayanika (2016); Paper Tiger: Law, Bureaucracy and the Developmental State in Himalayan
India, Delhi: Cambridge University Press;
pp xxii + 192, price not indicated.
Mohan, Kamlesh (2014); Science and Technology in
Colonial India, Delhi: Aakar Books; pp xi + 163,
Rs 450.
Mohanty, Sachidananda (2016); Periodical Press and
Colonial Modernity: Odisha, 1866-1936, New Delhi:
Oxford University Press; pp xiv + 143, Rs 595.
Moj, Muhammad (2015); The Deoband Madrassah
Movement: Countercultural Trends and Tendencies, Anthem India Press; pp xvi + 245, Rs 795.
Moodie, Megan (2015); We Were Adivasis: Aspiration in an Indian Scheduled Tribe, Chicago and
London: The University of Chicago Press;
pp xi + 217, $ 27.50 / 19.50.
Nielsen, Kenneth Bo and Anne Waldrop (eds) (2014);
Women, Gender and Everyday Social Transformation in India, Anthem India Press; pp vii + 254,
Rs 695.
Nunthara, C (2015); Local Governance in North-East
India: A Case of Dismal State in Mizoram, New
Delhi: Gyan Publishing House; pp 356, Rs 1,080.
Parikh, Alka (2015); Attaining Food Security: Experiments of 10 Asian Nations, Delhi: Kalpaz Publications; pp 256, Rs 790.
Pathak, Avijit (2015); Indian Modernity: Contradictions,
Paradoxes and Possibilities, Delhi: Aakar Books;
pp 253, Rs 295.
Qadeer, Imrana (ed) (2015); India: Social Development Report 2014: Challenges of Public Health
(Council for Social Development), New Delhi:
Oxford University Press; pp xxiii + 320, Rs 995
Qasmi, Ali Usman (2015); The Ahmadis and the
Politics of Religious Exclusion in Pakistan,
Anthem India Press; pp vii + 269, Rs 695.

december 12, 2015

vol l no 50

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