Answer: The women projected in Changia Rukh belong to rural Punjab. Those bound by marriage are more passive in comparison to the male counterparts who are aggressive and hit back at the caste system. It has reference to Daadi Haro who through sharp tongued speaks with authority and fearlessness. “Daadi’s authority was unchallenged” even among the upper castes, thus “If a Jat woman (or any other woman) passed near her without wishing her, she would say loudly, ‘wonder which arrogant bitch just passed by!’” For the narrator, Daadi is a symbol of resilient motherhood. He notes: “My mother would turn emotional whenever Daadi fell ill, saying, ‘There are not many like her; a widow for over forty-five years; brought up her children, settled them, yet never been beholden to anyone’”. Being “the oldest inhabitant of the village” she received respect from all whatever be the caste, as the narrator exclaims “many Jats of the village would come to Daadi asking for her advice about weddings and other such celebrations. They would also do whatever she advised them.” Daadi refused to die and there too her resilience shows up. When advised by others ‘Haro, take the name of God. Now it is the time for you to think of God. He may relieve you’”, Daadi with her toothless smile would answer “I think of Him, but he doesn’t take me away’”. Finally at her death after nearly hundred years, “half the village collected around her. As her body was laid out, there was praise for her on everyone’s lips.” The narrator also refers to Daadi as an agent of patriarchy who keeps a strong hold on younger women. The narrator says, “I had never seen Daadi working. But she would always criticize daughters and daughters-in-law of other houses, ‘Bitches! They get up late in the morning! We would have finished grinding ten seers of wheat by this time.” Analyzing the relation between his mother and Grandmother, Daadi, the narrator notes: “Despite all this, my mother would never retaliate. She was afraid of my Daadi’s harsh tongue and would neither argue with her nor say anything against her. At times, it appeared as if she had lost the use of her tongue.” The expression “as if she had lost the use of her tongue” is damning yet thought provoking. It speaks volume of the position of the mother in the household who is silenced by the patriarchal set up evident in this case in the form of Daadi as also her husband. The narrator also mentions about domestic violence as he talks about his mother Seebo. She is at the receiving end vis-à-vis her husband. The narrator notes, “Bhaia often taunted Ma about her brothers. Sometimes he would abuse her, and throw things at her when his temper ran away with him. And Ma …she had steeled herself to patiently bear all humiliations heaped on her”. Accepting domestic violence as a way of life, Seebo like other women in India under the framework of patriarchy has been taught from childhood “to patiently bear all humiliations heaped on” them. Considering herself insignificant in the larger scheme of things the narrator’s mother accepts her position as a low caste and merely echoes the father’s wishes and words. So is the case with other women in the village who more or less adhere to traditional roles assigned to them in the social set-up. The narrator’s attitude to women he meets in the workplace reveals that he feels one with their cause. Relating with them at the ideological level he asserts “One must do something to protect them from exploitation”. Noting in his friends a demeaning attitude towards women, the narrator states: Musical evenings would be arranged to forget the tensions of the day and to relax. Jokes, which were mostly about women, would be told. Even the women who were working in the godown were not spared. It was very upsetting. Sometimes I had suspicion about those women, and then again I felt concerned about their vulnerability and their helplessness. The result was that I would often advise these women how to conduct themselves with dignity. Exploitation of women is in many ways similar to that of caste. Madhopuri understands the nuanced dimensions of caste but he is unable to see that ‘advising’ women on “how to conduct themselves with dignity” is no answer to the problem. He sympathizes with the cause of women but he is unable to go beyond it.
0 Comments