A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

liberation from this ‘gender’. Still, sculptures
of the Utopia of women’s liberation will
have to take into cognizance the
stratifications of the woman. Mutually
contradictory perceptions of self/ identity
may exist within a woman in several ways.
Underlining these identity-perceptions will
only make the cause of women’s liberation
and its Utopia stronger, more meaningful
and more feasible. Although these
stratifications present themselves as a
challenge, a sound and sturdy path to
liberation will come forth only via those
challenges. A comprehension of gender
bereft of the understanding of how it’s
affected by caste and class is inaccurate
and insufficient to lead to the sought Utopia.
Further, a conception of this Utopia won’t
be fully successful until it encompasses
and provides space to all women. This
is to say that this Utopia of women’s
liberation cannot claim that one section
of women will be liberated today and
another later. Despite mutual differences,
all women are oppressed by patriarchy
and all equally seek and must claim this
Utopia.
Whenever women’s liberation is
discussed, gatekeepers of patriarchy
broadcast it as peril. They announce and
spread ideas like liberation-seeking ‘bobcut’
women are, indeed, women who hate
men, break families and burn bras. They
don’t have an organic, stable domain. In
point of fact, there is no one line of thought
behind all women who seek liberation,
nor do all women mean the same things
by liberation. Like any substantial project,
this too involves people working from
various ideological strains and social
compulsions. Any identity-based,
liberation-seeking group can plausibly posit
itself in relation to its oppressors, and
evoke enmity, in order to amass support
of their ‘own’ vs. the ‘other’. It must be
noted that if this tendency to see the
‘other’ as enemy takes hold, then the
liberation movement becomes yet another
dominating power, instead of it being a
truly successful effort. Then it begins to
threaten the democratic values instead
of espousing them. Therefore, it is
imperative that the liberation-oriented
Utopia of any group be investigated in
the context of the space and sentiment
it affords to its ‘Other’. It is a good thing
that women-groups do not feel hatred for
their ‘Other’ (men) group. It shows a lucid
understanding that the struggle is against
manifestations of patriarchy, and not against
men as individual entities. The Utopia of
women’s liberation would have equal rights
and space for men. Women like these are
not those who spread enmity; in fact they
seek to establish equality, compassion and
harmony. If however, the family structure
doesn’t adapt to become democratic and
continues to adhere to patriarchal ideals,
then why is it necessary to uphold it?
In making the current ‘family’ based on
patriarchy democratic, it will have to be
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