Illustration: Bilash Rai / Himal Southasian September 2006
Illustration: Bilash Rai / Himal Southasian September 2006

Taming of the Indian shrew

Feminist outrage and the demand for women’s rights seem to have been shelved as we enter the Era of Gender Mainstreaming.

Laxmi Murthy heads the Hri Institute for Southasian Research and Exchange and is a Contributing Editor for Himal Southasian.

Published on

Vibrant, forceful, dynamic, strident. Many more terms can be used to depict the Indian women's movement, but these will suffice to describe some of the great transformative events of the second half of the 20th century – a period of exhilarating social upheaval. Although 'women's issues' are being picked up and debated everywhere, we find the voices of the movement somewhat muted today. There has definitely been a dumbing down of the cause. To what do we owe this? Has the mainstreaming of gender blunted the edge of the women's liberation movement? Can the movement be reclaimed?

In the 1970s, organisations of the New Left and mass-based organisations mobilised around issues of social injustice. Tribal landless labourers led movements against the exploitative practices of non-tribal local landowners, land alienation and extortion by moneylenders. Women were at the forefront of these struggles, and began to take direct action on issues that affected them specifically as women – liquor, for instance, and the physical violence and indebtedness associated with alcoholism.

Loading content, please wait...
Himal Southasian
www.himalmag.com