A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

at several levels. Instances of visible
violence from curbing their voices to
destroying their works are easily detectable,
but indirect violence and ways of silencing
them are not so. The extent of this has
been so immense that the author of the
great text ‘Seemantani Updesh’ has been
none other than an ‘invisible hindu woman’.
Her name is not known till now. Is it
not the sorry result of indirect violence?
It is not so that women have resisted
patriarchy only in Europe or India. Every
nation that had patriarchy witnessed
resistance. If one looks at recent past,
i.e. the nineteenth century, Jiu Chen from
China, Gajman Nona and Sugla from Sri
Lanka, Kartini from Indonesia, Kurral ul
Ain from Iran, etc. present themselves
as ready instances, along with many others.
It is true that they along with the urge
to resist patriarchy, can also see the
limitations of their struggle specific to their
respective times. This legacy has to be
understood without attempting to
undermine or exaggerate it. To build
constructively on this legacy, both its
achievements and its limitations are
valuable and must be owned up and
discoursed upon.
In our country, the Independence
struggle brought women out of the confines
of their households. During this, multitudes
of women partook in significant social and
political work. The matter of women’s
position in society as a political question
emerged in this period. Moving out of
homes, attending meetings and
participating in socio-political projects is
in itself a step towards empowerment.
Leaders of the independence struggle must
be given credit for it too. But, it must
also be remembered that just like dalits
and farmers, women were also merely part
of the larger cause of independence, instead
of it being a question of women’s liberation.
Inferring, forerunners of the Independence
struggle raised women’s position in society
in service of their own mission, i.e., the
nation’s freedom. It was a historic need
to liberate women from the confines of
their homes and align them to the cause
of the nation. That is the reason why
in 1917, Sarojini Naidu led a delegation
of women to meet Montesque to distinctly
voice and support, specifically in their
position as women, the demand for Swaraj
already voiced by Congress, Muslim League
and the Council. Leaders of the Freedom
Movement were themselves in the grip
of ‘gender’ based doctrines. They felt that
men were better adept at doing certain
errands for the Independence struggle as
compared to women. This can be
understood through the Salt Satyagrah
initiated by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji used
to encourage women to join in the Freedom
Movement but he dissuaded them from
participating in Dandi March. He felt that
women would tire of the long march. Some
women, including Sarojini Naidu persisted
against this and insisted they march too.
January-March 2012 :: 141