Five Novellas about Women: varied hues

BOOK REVIEW

"I have not seen any boundaries, I have only heard that boundaries do exist in the minds of some." Jnanpith awardee Indira Goswami stated the above statement in the context of the limitlessness of being and existence. Her laudable skills in literature and scholarship of Ramayana studies marked her works on taboo topics of widowhood & female sexuality, homosexuality, class and caste oppression, misguided masculinity, etc. Being a young widow herself, when she saw what widowhood meshed in poverty made of Hindu women, she was shaken deeply.

The single women in Mamoni Baideo's stories reflect a strong voice of resistance and expression in the way that she uses her words in portrayal; she has dared to give them a sexual agency contradicting societal expectations of 'women'. Her characters are in regular conflict with life, as ones who do not give up. Her literary skills kindle the reader's compassion for the protagonists as victims of the oppressive structures of society.

Writing in the Kamrupiya dialect, she delves into the lives of middle-class women, otherwise ignored in portrayals, who have worked hard, toiled, and struggled, only to watch everything fall apart in front of them. The book under review is titled Five Novellas about Women containing some of Indira Goswami's most prominent works, translated into English by Dibyajyoti Sarma. As the name suggests, the book contains five of her stories; each about life under a patriarchal rule, of the rural poor, the widows, the urban underclass, and the deprived; from the perspective of the character. These narratives reflect the struggle between what is 'normal' with the 'deviant' in the societal understandings of the protagonists.

The title of the first story is an image that is symbolic of the protagonist, Phuleshwari's, plight, a situation where even the metaphorical "begging bowl", as the last thing in her possession, is broken. It has an allegorical context that weaves in issues of widowhood, the ongoing insurgency movement, and the rituals of the community that comes along with the menstruation of the girl child all together in one novella. The helplessness faced by the women, the societal injustices and exploitation, and their vivid reactions to it, are all brought about clearly in this classic story by Goswami. The NGO section reflects on the mere dressing of social handouts that leaves the traumatized worse than before. This story aligns itself with the story of Assam with the problems and persecutions faced by the land, rural poverty, and the insurgent forces breathing on the same. How the youth of the land take the path of violence, the families that are devastated in turn, and the oppressive rituals that widows and menstruating women go through are all a part of this short yet impactful allegory.

The second story is The Blood of Devipeeth, wherein the protagonist, Padmapriya, struggles to overcome her feelings of doubt and abandonment after being dumped by her estranged husband because she suffers from vitiligo. The story is set around the foothills of Kamakhya, where animal sacrifice is the norm. A girl who heads back home from their marital place being a burden on one's own family is reflected upon herein. Indira Goswami's objection to animal sacrifice is well documented in this story. This is however an empowering story of a woman who mystically develops the courage to face her husband leaving a symbolic significance to the same. The way in which the sacrifice of lower castes is a ritual and the higher castes is a sin draws my attention as a reader to the inherent caste-based understandings associated with such practices.

The third story, Delhi 5 November 1991, refers to the hooch tragedy of the same date, in which almost 200 people perished from tainted liquor. The protagonist, Vimala, serves as an 'outside view' into the tragedy, while also pointing to the issue of being viewed as an object of sexual gratification in society. The two arcs of narration merge in this somber tale. The novella also reflects on how politicians escape responsibility for the tragedies they create. The dilemma of whether to speak up against harassment or to face it silently to mitigate the after-effects is reflected in the statement, 'she was tortured by the genitalia as hard as an iron latch and the newly grown hair on Daya mochi's head after the chemo'.

The fourth story is rooted in Goswami's visit to Vrindavan to research the Ramayana at the recommendation of her teacher . Ishwari's Doubts and Desires features a similar setting that sheds light on the plight of widows and their lack of companionship. The guilty attraction of the protagonist Ishwari is described herein in terms of Dharma Bahadur highlighting the dilemma of the widow between the love and desire she feels against spiritual expectations. The prevalent hypocrisy in society that isolates the widows and at the same time exploits them is brought to the fore. The quote "The woman next to Ishwari was feeding her baby in front of everyone, without shame and inhibition" highlights the boldness and respect that comes along with motherhood and how the widows and unmarried become just sex objects with flesh for the predators to prey upon.

The final story, The Touchstone, features a male protagonist, Dwarakanath, who, as a result of the patriarchal nurturing of society, is so disconnected from women that they truly have no idea what women want or need. This results in them treating women as sex objects generation after generation due to the taboo associated with the discussions on sex, women, and pleasure. This novella portrays how men become victims of patriarchal settings and how it benefits none.

The rustic use of the Kampuriya dialect in the translated version marks the originality and keeps the emotions raw. How dreams and reality are juxtaposed; the vivid portrayal of the lived settings of the protagonists with the issues of the time; the hope and ambitions to rise above the set ceilings; the dilemmas of guilt and pleasure facing the wanting self; the rituals and beliefs; the ladder kicked off by the upper class inhibiting the people from the lower rungs to reach their level; the portrayal of a 'women' as 'should be and as 'is'; all hues of emotions and being are brought to light through the commendable literary genius of the author.

By: Ankita Dutta

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