Some were celebrated, Others vilified While some were casually neglected Yet, the story of these women lived on... Her-Stories is a discussion of women from Indian history whose contributions have been all but forgotten. These were poets, performers, warriors, saints, philosophers, activists and more, yet we hardly remember their courage and contributions. The time has come to bring their history to the fore. Their stories describe desperate situations, ingenious strategies and brilliant sparks of feminist consciousness. Rather than accounts of isolated 'great women', these stories place at the centre the ordinary woman, in all her splendid diversity, multifaceted struggle and achievement. The women profiled were encouraged and supported by others-their achievements represent the aspirations of many in the past, and provide inspiration for us in the present. Cutting across several regions of India and presented in chronological order from second millennium BCE, to the mid-nineteenth century India, these are the stories of women who have been thinkers, doers, movers and shakers who have subverted hierarchies, brought peace out of chaos and survived despite routine devaluation. Philosopher Sulabha, philanthropist Vishakha, fearless Uppalavanna, wandering bard Auvaiyar, justice maker Leima Laisna, astronomer Khona, mountain queen Didda, radical poet Akkamahadevi, intrepid Sultan Razia, martial artiste Unniyarcha, poet-saint Janabai, Gond Rani Durgavati, historian Gulbadan, cultural ambassador Harkha, pepper queen Abbakka, fakira Jahanara, brave Onake Obavva, Dalit rebel Nangeli, dancer-diplomat Mahlaqa Bai Chanda, lion queen Jindan, Nawab Begum Qudsia, sharpshooter Uda, guerrillera Hazrat Begum and feminist writer Tarabai Shinde.
For Nearly A Century, Nautanki Reigned As North India'S Most Popular Form Of Entertainment, And Gulab Bai Shone As Its Brightest Star. Fusing Dance And Dialogue, Music And Romance, Humour And Melodrama, This Travelling Folk Theatre Was A Precursor To Bollywood. In Cities And Villages, People Watched All Night, Drawn Into A World Of Fantasy And Make-Believe. Gulab, A 12-Year-Old Girl From The Bedia Caste, Joined Nautanki In 1931. Reputed To Be The First Female Actor In Nautanki, She Rose To Dizzy Heights As The Heroine Of Countless Dramas And Later Started The Great Gulab Theatre Company. Gulab Bai Was Awarded The Padmashree, A Mark Of National Honour&Mdash;Yet She Died Sad And Bewildered, For The Form To Which She Had Devoted Her Life Was Languishing. To Tell Gulab Bai'S Story&Mdash;And Reconstruct The Social History Of A Genre&Mdash;The Author Travelled To Gulab'S Village And Kanpur'S Rail Bazaar, Met Family Members And Co-Artistes, Gathered Oral Narratives, Traced Drama Scripts And Song Recordings. The Tale That Emerges Is A Wonderfully Intimate Portrayal Of A Dying Art And Its Uncrowned Queen.
This book focuses on Indian single mothers and explores their lives, with their attendant dilemmas and challenges. The author details a phenomenon that is fast becoming common. Deftly using a free-flowing narrative, she raises questions about marriage, children and relationships. This seminal work draws attention to truths that usually lie buried in the rubble of daily life and conventional social sciences.
The true story of the 'Iron Lady of Manipur' who fasted for 16 years against AFSPA Ten innocent people were mowed down by security forces in Malom, a village near Imphal, in November 2000. The perpetrators were not punished, protected under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act which empowers military and para-military personnel to arrest, shoot, even kill, anyone on the grounds of mere suspicion. In response to this tragedy--one among many such atrocities--Irom Sharmila, a young Manipuri, began an indefinite hunger strike. The government arrested her and force-fed her through nasal tubes. She was released and re-arrested innumerable times, but she stood by her demand. In July 2016, Irom brought her sixteen years of hunger strike to an end, and decided to contest the elections. Burning Bright is a hard-hitting account of a people caught between the crossfire of militants and security forces; of a once-sovereign kingdom whose culture has been brutally violated; of the many voices of dissent-from underground groups to the Meira Paibis, a women's movement opposed to all forms of violence whether by the state or insurgents and a moving portrait of 'the Iron Lady of Manipur'.
This book focuses on Indian single mothers and explores their lives, with their attendant dilemmas and challenges. The author details a phenomenon that is fast becoming common. Deftly using a free-flowing narrative, she raises questions about marriage, children and relationships. This seminal work draws attention to truths that usually lie buried in the rubble of daily life and conventional social sciences.
Irom Sharmila has been on a fast unto death for eight years, demanding a repeal of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Manipur. Ten innocent people were mowed down by security forces in Malom, a village near Imphal, in November 2000. The perpetrators were not punished, protected under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act which empowers military and para-military personnel to arrest, shoot, even kill, anyone on the grounds of mere suspicion. In response to this tragedy—one among many such atrocities—Irom Sharmila, a young Manipuri, began an indefinite hunger strike. The government arrested her and force-fed her through nasal tubes. She has been released and re-arrested innumerable times since then, but has stood by her demand, steadfastly refusing to eat until the Act is repealed. Burning Bright is a hard-hitting account of a people caught between the crossfire of militants and security forces; of a once- sovereign kingdom whose culture has been brutally violated; of the many voices of dissent— from underground groups to the Meira Paibis, a women’s movement opposed to all forms of violence whether by the state or insurgents and a moving portrait of ‘the Iron Lady of Manipur’.
For Nearly A Century, Nautanki Reigned As North India'S Most Popular Form Of Entertainment, And Gulab Bai Shone As Its Brightest Star. Fusing Dance And Dialogue, Music And Romance, Humour And Melodrama, This Travelling Folk Theatre Was A Precursor To Bollywood. In Cities And Villages, People Watched All Night, Drawn Into A World Of Fantasy And Make-Believe. Gulab, A 12-Year-Old Girl From The Bedia Caste, Joined Nautanki In 1931. Reputed To Be The First Female Actor In Nautanki, She Rose To Dizzy Heights As The Heroine Of Countless Dramas And Later Started The Great Gulab Theatre Company. Gulab Bai Was Awarded The Padmashree, A Mark Of National Honour&Mdash;Yet She Died Sad And Bewildered, For The Form To Which She Had Devoted Her Life Was Languishing. To Tell Gulab Bai'S Story&Mdash;And Reconstruct The Social History Of A Genre&Mdash;The Author Travelled To Gulab'S Village And Kanpur'S Rail Bazaar, Met Family Members And Co-Artistes, Gathered Oral Narratives, Traced Drama Scripts And Song Recordings. The Tale That Emerges Is A Wonderfully Intimate Portrayal Of A Dying Art And Its Uncrowned Queen.
Irom Sharmila has been on a fast unto death for eight years, demanding a repeal of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Manipur. Ten innocent people were mowed down by security forces in Malom, a village near Imphal, in November 2000. The perpetrators were not punished, protected under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act which empowers military and para-military personnel to arrest, shoot, even kill, anyone on the grounds of mere suspicion. In response to this tragedy—one among many such atrocities—Irom Sharmila, a young Manipuri, began an indefinite hunger strike. The government arrested her and force-fed her through nasal tubes. She has been released and re-arrested innumerable times since then, but has stood by her demand, steadfastly refusing to eat until the Act is repealed. Burning Bright is a hard-hitting account of a people caught between the crossfire of militants and security forces; of a once- sovereign kingdom whose culture has been brutally violated; of the many voices of dissent— from underground groups to the Meira Paibis, a women’s movement opposed to all forms of violence whether by the state or insurgents and a moving portrait of ‘the Iron Lady of Manipur’.
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