Browsing by Subject "Equality"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

Open Access
BANKIMCHANDRA ON SOCIETY, EQUALITY AND WOMEN'S EDUCATION
(University of North Bengal, 2023-03) MONDAL, SUJAY
Open Access
Equality in difference: an analysis with reference to ‘motherhood’
(University of North Bengal, 2024-03) Datta (Majumdar), Kasturi
Gender discrimination is one of the important topics of Practical Ethics. Any kind of discrimination hinders the growth of society. All human beings deserve equal rights and opportunities irrespective of race, caste, religion, sex. Biological differences of individuals could never be taken as criteria of gender discrimination. Motherhood is considered as glorified aspect of women’s life, but this is a patriarchal ploy to keep women in a cage. Now this is the time when we should re-think our traditional theories in order to assure equality to women.
Open Access
Equality or Hierarchy: The Organisational Structure of a Sect in Bengal
(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2021) Goswami, Sumana
During the seventeenth and eighteenth century numerous deviant vaisnava and semi-vaisnava sects emerged among the lower orders of both the Hindus and Muslims in Bengal. Challenging the great traditions of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity these sects altogether rejected the Vedas, Shastras and most importantly the caste system. Dumont, while emphasizing the hierarchical characteristics of the Indian caste system, held that in opposition to castes sects have an egalitarian nature. The present paper is concerned with the structure of one such sect, namely Kartabhaja, which emerged as an anti-Vedic, anti-caste group and survives till date. The study attempts to examine whether the sect follows a true egalitarian structure or not. The necessary data for the study were gathered in the annual fair of the sect called Satimar Mela through personal visits for seven consecutive years (1999-2005) and again in 2012, 2016 and in 2018. The methods of non-participant observation and unstructured and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from about 100 sect members on a snowball sampling basis. Historical accounts were also used to construct a history of the sect. The study reveals that the sect, which rejected the exploitative caste hierarchy and emphasized on equality of human beings, irrespective of caste, religion and sex, had to develop a new form of three-level stratified system of Karta, Mahasaya and Barati for organizational solidity. These separate and independent groups within the sect could easily be distinguished through their different ritual performances. The formation and continuation of stratified structure within the sect obviously is contrary to the image of egalitarian structure of the sect.
Open Access
Islamic feminists’ view on muslim women’s equality and empowerment
(University of North Bengal, 2024-03) Khatun, Najmun
This paper aims to focus on gender equality, especially on women’s equal rights, opportunities and empowerment from Islamic feminists’ point of view. The Qur’an is generally alleged as a main source of women’s subordination or oppression. Islamic feminists argue that there is no single verse in the entire Qur’an that subordinates women. For them, the Qur’an is the main source of women’s empowerment and gender equality. However, the patriarchal society has interpreted and represented the Qur’anic teaching in a wrong way throughout the centuries. Thus, Islamic feminists rise with contextual interpretation of the Qur’anic verses to substantiate their own view. They show that male and female both are equal in all respects. They both are moral individual agents, and for this, they earn equal recompense for their duties. Islamic feminists argue that women’s empowerment is not possible if both male and female are not equally treated in rights and opportunities. Thus, they give importance to build gender equality in Islam.
Open Access
LGBT Movement in India: The Journey towards an Inclusive Society
(University of North Bengal, 2021-09) Das, Sagnika
Equality in the society between the individuals irrespective of race, sex, religion, caste, place of birth or colour is a sign of a progressive society as it lays the path towards stability and harmony. Every human being has the right to be treated equally. However, Social hegemony2has tendency to exclude persons with “differences” which violates their inalienable Basic Human Rights. Till the year 2018, the LGBT community in India was suffering from exclusion. These people were considered to be either sex workers or criminals. They demanded a positive radical social change. The LGBT movement took the urge for tolerance and inclusion to a whole new level. The judiciary responded to their plea for equality first in Suresh Kumar Koushalv. Naz Foundation3 which culminated in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India4 where the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional rights of the LGBTQ+ people. In this backdrop, the present paper intends to point out the factors which led to inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community and led to social transformation.
Open Access
Lower caste movement and the idea of social equality under the raj : jyotirao phule and maratha renaissance
(University of North Bengal, 31-03-2017) Sengupta, Shilajit
Post-Colonial Indian state was fraught with high level of caste discrimination, illiteracy, agricultural failures and many such grimy situations which now partially have been addressed by systematic and strategic planning since 1951. Considering the vastness and incredibly heterogeneous demography of the nation bringing in social equality by eradicating caste hierarchy, education for all and agricultural development policies are the key areas where India has been performing well unlike other South Asian countries of third world. The seed of the idea behind many such policies especially in development of mass education was sown by great Indian thinker Jyotirao Govindrao Phule. In primary and higher education for masses, right to the farmers and the true realization of a just and egalitarian society which would be neither caged under the clutches of foreign rulers nor dominated by hierarchically structured class and caste based Hindu society this erudite Marathi Activist-Writer- Thinker has made commendable contribution. Phule’s work brought an era of renaissance which gave voice to the lower caste marginalized population unlike the mainstream upper caste-bourgeois led nationalist movement which failed to include the age old cultural and social deprivation of sudras and untouchables of the land. This article will focus on Phule’s view on social reform during mid and late 19th century colonial India which later influenced emancipatory movements of lower caste people and their struggle for social equality in Independent India.
Open Access
Pros & cons of Triple Talaq: post Shayara Bano judgment
(University of North Bengal, 2022-09) Singh, Amrita; Verma, Ravi Kant
“We are the nation which proudly professes about it being the largest democracy and ensures to both men and women equal rights meanwhile it claims itself to be a secular state. However, under all these pretty claims there lies heinous and discriminatory laws which jeopardize the lives of many people who are in most cases unable to earn a living for themselves. The different courts in India have passed various judgements in the cases of Triple Talaq which is not helping the Muslim women as well. Triple Talaq, a patriarchal practice should be banned because first, it is unconstitutional; secondly, it leaves the women who are divorced and dependent in acute poverty; thirdly, it is un-Quranic.