Journal of Women's Studies: University of North Bengal, Vol. 11

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://ir.nbu.ac.in/handle/123456789/5184

EDITORIAL

I am happy to announce that the 2022 issue of Journal of Women’s Studies is now published.

Women's Studies Journal has focused on problems related to women, gender, sexuality, caste, and literature since its first modest publication, in an effort to represent the concerns of repressed women, and women in general, who are usually beleaguered.

This issue of Women Studies Journal draws attention to the variety of women's social and political realities, centralizes the experiences of all women, particularly those whose social circumstances have not been researched or altered by political movements, and attempts to explore gendered experiences from new perspectives through its multidisciplinary essays. Meanwhile the journal has grown, it now has an editorial board and an advisory board (formed in 2020) and the essays are now sent for peer review.

At the heart of feminism is the fight against sexiest oppression. The objective of feminism is not to promote any particular race, class, or a group of women. It does not promote an edifice that will privilege women over other genders. It incorporates education and awareness that have the potential to significantly alter each of our lives. It is not a way of life or a prefabricated identity. Instead, it confronts identity politics by providing investigative tools that broaden our understanding of who we are, deepen our awareness of intersubjectivity, and strengthen our connection to collective reality. The Journal of Women Studies seeks to make a small contribution to this field.

Our history is a combination of conquests and conversions. History books and mass media overwhelmingly record stories of men’s achievements from which women are largely absent. To use the historian’s cliché, absence of evidence is not always evidence of absence. The participation of women in the sociocultural history of nation formation have been overlooked, or thought not fit enough for archive, and if archived, they were not brought to discussion and thus their contributions belittled. ‘The Narratives of Displaced Women: Journey from Assam to Siliguri (1947-1991)’, ‘Contribution of Muslim Women’s Participation in Non-cooperation Movement and Khilafat Movement with special focus on Bengal’, and Shades of South Asian Women in Rasheed Jahan’s Writings: Navigating Patriarchies, Spaces, Regime Control, and Colonialism’ are attempts to fill in the gaps in history and serve as a reminder of the contributions and involvements of women in the history of the country.

The word "power" is the most noticeable aspect of the term "empowerment". Power is one of the most distinct and perhaps the most contested concept in social theory. Steven Lukes in Power: A Radical View (1974) claimed that the perception of power is fundamentally contested and inherently evaluative. Nalia Kabeer in Reversed Realities: Gendered Hierarchy in Development Thought (1994) distinguishes between various conceptions of power that are crucial to the idea of empowerment. She draws a distinction between ‘power to’ and ‘power over’ and ‘power within’, that is equivalent to the idea of having control, having control over others and having control within oneself. The ability to affect a situation's result in opposition to the preferences of other actors is viewed as having power, and ‘power over’ which is strongly related to liberal theories on decision-making processes. In this understanding, ‘power’ is exclusively considered in terms of human decision-making while the structures and processes through which decision-making occurs are largely ignored. The struggle for control, as well as the question of who is making decisions and what should be decided, must also be addressed in the discussions on the process to empowerment. ‘Emancipation and Empowerment of Women – Barriers and Challenges’ engages into discussions on women’s empowerment.

While statistics points out the need for women empowerment in order to balance out society's imbalance, women with disabilities—who are commonly overlooked—face double oppression. They frequently lack access to basic services, have less social, political, and economic opportunities, and may be more vulnerable to poverty and social marginalization. ‘Ignored Voices: A General Overview on the Life of the Women with Disabilities in India’ talks about women with disabilities.

Gender politics in Girish Karnad’s writing are very well expressed in through his woman characters in his plays. Contrary to the majority of male authors of his generation, Karnad made it a point to give his female characters more than just a voice; they were integral to the progression of the plot and to what Karnad was attempting to convey to us about the world in which we live. and an idea of the improved world we may live in. Even when they are placed inside the oppressive limits of patriarchal organizations, Karnad’s women are independent in their thought and can assert their agency. ‘Subjugation and Emancipation: Women Characters in the Select Works of Girish Karnad’ discusses the portrayal of women characters in the select plays of Girish Karnad.

Over the past 40 years, the global popularity of Japanese visual culture has grown exponentially, making it a multifaceted cultural phenomenon. Since the 1980s, manga (Japanese comics) and anime (Japanese animation) have been incredibly popular among the young adult populace.

Superflat and Post-Gender: A Case Study of female bodies in Ghost in the Shell and Paprika’ studies the female body in Anime and Manga with reference to Mamoru Oshii’s 1995 cyberpunk masterpiece Ghost in the Shell, and Satoshi Kon’s 2006 film Paprika.

When we stop accepting the oversimplified explanations of discrimination against girls and women within a family or within an institution, or in society at large, we start to look at the ingrained patterns of existing domination in the society and also at how we contribute to their upkeep and perpetuation. Some groups who are exploited and oppressed are frequently pushed by people in positions of authority to believe that their circumstances are hopeless and that there is little they can do to alter the pattern of dominance. These groups have been socialized to believe that the only acceptable response to hegemonic power can be silence and passive acceptance of their situations. They are made to believe that their passive reaction is in no way threatening to their existence and rather contributes to the stability of the structure which is essential for their survival. When we stop accepting the oversimplified explanations we soon realize that this kind of strategy does not help to alleviate their oppression or domination. Only after we comprehend the structure of domination can we think of new possibilities and work towards them. Women’s Studies Journal offers a venue for expressing such viewpoints.

I extend my sincere thanks to the editorial board of Women’s Studies, University of North Bengal, to the authorities of the University of North Bengal for their support and encouragement, to the members of the Advisory Committee, and the Academic Board of Women’s Studies for their valuable inputs and support. I take this opportunity to thank all the contributors for their essays.

I thank NBU Press team for their patience and support. The authors reserve the responsibility of answering any future queries about content, methodology and referencing.

I express my gratitude to the entire editorial team whose commitment and perseverance has made this issue possible.

With best wishes.

Dr. Zinia Mitra
Professor, Department of English & Director, Centre for Women’s Studies

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    Shades of South Asian Women in Rasheed Jahan’s Writings: Navigating Patriarchies, Spaces, Regime Control, and Colonialism
    (University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Chakraborty, Anup Shekhar; Biswas, Praggnaparamita
    Women in South Asia had a different colonial experience compared to that of men. Colonialism liberated indigenous women from traditionally restrictive practices, expanding their mobility opportunities. It also introduced indigenous women to newer forms of colonial patriarchy and sometimes resurrected older forms of masculine privilege. Women attempted to overcome obstacles to education and healthcare, forced marriages, and restrictions on their freedom of movement. A group of women actively participated in the nationalist movement and advocated for women’s rights. Writing allowed colonised women in South Asia to convey their thoughts and experiences and to challenge the oppressive structures that confined them, ultimately leading to women’s liberation. By drawing attention to the intersectionality of gender, religion, and culture, women writers in South Asia, particularly the Islamic women writers have contributed significantly to the feminist movement. These writings have given Muslim women in the region a voice and have challenged patriarchal norms and stereotypes. The writings of Rasheed Jahan, Ismat Chughtai, and Qurratulain Hyder continue to serve as a source of inspiration and motivation for future generations of women. The present study delves into the literary works of Rasheed Jahan, with a focus on the portrayal of South Asian women and their experiences in overcoming various forms of patriarchal oppression, their navigation through regimes and their mechanisms of control, their struggle for establishment of identities in diverse social settings, resisting authoritarian regimes, and recovering from the aftermath of colonialism while carving out spaces for their survival.
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    Subjugation and Emancipation : Women Characters in the Select Works of Girish Karnad
    (University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Mahaldar, Santosh
    A feminist perspective explores and analyzes among its other themes, the theme of gender inequality. It talks about the discourses of patriarchy and sexism that have kept women oppressed and marginalized economically, politically, socially and psychologically. Lois Tyson asserts: “Feminist criticism examines how literature (and other cultural productions) reinforces or undermines the economic, political, social and psychological oppression of women.” (Tyson, 2019, p. 79) Disparity against women based on gender distinction has been the core preoccupation of feminism. The role of women in our society has been confined within the boundaries of daughter, wife, and mother, which are suggestive of the restrictions that almost all women face in their homes. This paper draws on gender discourses to discuss the theme of subjugation of women in some select plays of Girish Karnad. The paper discusses four plays of Karnad to explore the issue ; Naga-Mandala, The Fire and the Rain , Hayavadana and Yajati . Discussion on women’s subjugation requires a proper theoretical and philosophical perspective. The essay refers to some deliberations and convictions of feminist critics like John Stuart Mill, Simone de Beauvoir, Kate Millet, and Michel Foucault. Girish Karnad was well aware that the sexist oppression of women is a feature of patriarchal dominance. We know the adage, “power sets the agenda for patriarchy.” The research aims to pinpoint how Karnad seeks for means of atonement in the select plays.
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    Contribution of Muslim Women’s Participation in Non- Cooperation Movement and Khilafat Movement with Special Focus on Bengal
    (University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Yasmin Sabina
    In the aftermath of the First World War, indications of far-reaching changes in Indian politics became evident. Mahatma Gandhi’s rise in national politics certainly brought novelty to the nationalist movement. The Rowlatt Act, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the martial law in the Punjab intensified the anti-British imperialism of the common people. After that came the Khilafat problem. Gandhiji associated himself with the Khilafat movement at its full height. Gandhiji associated himself and the Indian National Congress with the Khilafat movement in a sincere attempt to strengthen Hindu-Muslim unity. The decision of boycott of British goods was taken based on this decision and the non-cooperation movement started and took the form of mass movement. This movement played a very important role in Bengal as well.
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    Ignored Voices: An Overview of the life of the Women with Disabilities in India.
    (University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Das, Tinku
    It has been held from ancient times that men and women are not equal. Some socially prescribed identities have been forced onto both genders. Based on people's biological or physiological differences, performances, competence, retention, and other capacities, society has developed some negative conceptions and established some binaries such as normal/abnormal, able/disabled, fit/unfit, etc. In order to oppress women, patriarchal society has created separate standards for men and women. It views women as weak human beings who serve as spouses, mothers, nurses, and sisters. In a culture that is governed by men, women lack freedom and safety. Men have always held a higher standing than women and are still are viewed as more significant than women. There have been different waves of feminism with their own charter of demands regarding women’s rights but there was no particular demand for women with disabilities. It seems that women with disabilities have no purpose in this world and are considered as useless in the society. Even at the very onset the women who struggled for their rights and identities did not raise their voices for women with disabilities. Harlan Hahn, a disability activist and political scientist has observed that disabled women often encounter “asexual objectification”. Though the world of words masculine and feminine are categorized but women with disability have no category and have been deprived and treated as untouchables. The paper discusses this lack of voice in favour of women with disabilities that pushes them towards more uneasy world.
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    Superflat and Post-Gender: A Case Study of female bodies in Ghost in the Shell and Paprika
    (University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Dewan, Arghyadip
    This article studies the representation of female bodies in two anime films: Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Satoshi Kon’s Paprika (2006) to study how the post apocalyptic cyborg and the dream realm’s alter ego both subvert the gender oriented paradigms by becoming Superflat bodies in a postgender space. Takashi Murakami’s Superflat manifesto talks about the bricolage of multiple flattened layers superimposed onto one another to create a composite surface of multiple focal points where meaning exists on the surface itself rather than the interior. In both Ghost in the Shell and Paprika we see the melting of the outside into the inside. The post apocalyptic Niihama City and the unstable kaleidoscopic dream realm both are examples of what Susan J Napier terms “fantasyscapes” where the body goes through the Guattarian “a-signifying semiotic” process to create unlimited intersections of signs, identities, images and self-images. This contributes to the Superflat “delimiting” (Looser, 2006: 108) of the body where its symbiosis with both technology and the cybernetically created alter ego takes place. It also blurs the boundaries between body and commodity. Thus the bodies of Major Mokoto Kusanagi/The Puppet Master in Ghost in the Shell and Dr.Chiba Atsuko/Paprika in Paprika become examples of Superflat bodies in a post-gender future.
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    Emancipation and Empowerment of Women – Barriers and Challenges
    (University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Roy, Sayantani
    ‘It is perfectly natural for the future woman to feel indignant at the limitations posed upon her by her sex. The real question is not why she should reject them: the problem is to understand why she accepts them’ -Simone de Beauvior, The Second Sex Since time immemorial, women have been held in the shackles of mediocrity under the guise of domesticity. The notion of inferiority complex silently embedded in their psyche. The invariably assertive surroundings forcibly made an inevitable resolution to push her down the same path that her matriarchal lineage committed to ages since. The fear of obligation and guilt persisted in following her in the subsequent time, no matter how hard a woman attempted to break free from the confines that had been deftly built to keep her in place. The terrifying outburst of self-criticism is a product of the generational transmission of a mental process that endorses patriarchy and relies on the idea that women are in fact a subordinate category incapable of being left on their own. A key component of feminist definition and politics is empowerment, which became a buzzword in the 1970s among development agencies, is not without obstacles and challenges.
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    The Narratives of Displaced Women: Journey from Assam to Siliguri (1947-1991)
    (University of North Bengal, 2022-12) Paul, Sweety
    Siliguri became the center of attraction for a bulk of Bengali immigrants from Assam to resettle in the new region. The extraordinary population-growth of the town especially during the second half of the twentieth century indicates the influx of the evacuees from Assam into the realm. After independence Siliguri Sub-division confronted with unusual pace in its development. Severe lucrative scope of secondary and tertiary sectors in the town favored the displaced people to get engaged in this new commercial field of the metropolis. The people commenced their new journey in a new way in the burg through their own initiatives. These massive number of people were mainly due to the East Bengali Hindu refugee Scheme of West Bengal in newly independent India. But unfortunately in reality they could not find any kind of facilities for their resettlement neither by the Central Government nor by the State Government. A voluminous number of evicted women had to go through many hazards and trauma in their lives. The words of these victimized women require special attention to reveal the truth about their struggle for existence in Siliguri after escaping from Bangladesh at first and then from Assam.