LAJWANTI

THEMES

WOMEN’S VOICE
1. The voice of a woman holds paramount importance if times of conflict
like the 1947 tragedy is taken into consideration.

2. Bedi raises the problem of silence—the inability of survivors and

perpetrators of violence to talk about what happened—which is a
common theme in partition literature.

3. One issue astutely raised by students in this course was that Bedi’s
choice of narrational mode serves utterly to silence the main female
character Lājwantī herself.

4. In any event, the stark emotional landscape of partition violence is

chillingly captured in this remarkable short story by a leading writer of
the generation that lived through it.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

1. Lajwanti" focuses on the idea of domestic violence. But can one really
call it "domestic violence"? It was more a part of "tradition" for men to
beat their wives. Lajo was so much accustomed to the beatings of Sundar
Lal that she resisted the idea of him not beating her.

2. "No…he never said anything to me. He did not beat me, but I was
terrified of him. You beat me, but I was never afraid of you…"
This statement taken from the story justifies the point. Was it a necessity
for men to beat their wives? Was it a way of showing their love? Was it
that women understood their "love" only this way?

3. It was an uncomfortable situation Lajwanti was pushed into, when she

was not beaten up by her husband. She was uncomfortable with the idea
that she is no longer Sundar Lal's Lajo but simply Lajwanti.

4.Domestic violence was a societal norm. Lajwanti resists silently and in

a "woman- like" manner when on multiple occasions she says "If you
beat me again, I will never speak to you." On the other hand she also says
"I will not marry city lads, city lads wear boots and I have such a small
bottom." She resisted Sundar Lal's beatings only to giggle away the pain
very next moment. Perhaps she had no other choice. Lajwanti is unnerved
by Sunder Lal's unsustainable, unknowable devotion to her, for she
prefers the certainty of her husband's old violence

REHABILITATION AND SOCIETY:

1. After forcefully entering new homes and new nations, when women
started to adjust to their fate; they were again brought back to their own
homes.

2. Many women openly resisted this idea as they knew what was waiting
for them. They knew they were coming back only to not be accepted by
their families. Their fears were not unsubstantiated because many women
had to stay in the refugee camps set up by the rehabilitation groups only
because their families refused to accept them.

3. This idea was noticed in "Lajwanti" too. People of the temple of

Narain Bawa were openly protesting against Sundar Lal and his
rehabilitation group. Under the name of tradition and religion they were
resisting humanity by not accepting back these women whom they called
"sluts. Left over by the Muslims." Hence, the resistance of families in
accepting back the women of their own community reflects their
insidious pride and ignorance and orthodoxy which curtails their
rationality.

4. On the other hand, was the other group of Sundar Lal, Neki Ram,
Rasalu and others who were eager to continue their work of the
rehabilitation group.

5. Sundar Lal silently protests against and resists his own actions towards
Lajo (Lajwanti), repents and wishes to give his relation another chance
as soon as he finds Lajwanti.Sundar Lal's rehabilitation group gathered a
lot of acceptance and understanding. But there were people who were
unwilling to understand, some chose to be passive, including women and
widows, and many resisted actively this zealous resistance by him.
Sundar Lal however continued his work, questioning these people and
questioning the society.

6. He not only regrets his treatment towards Lajo but also pities the
society for behaving with women the way it does and for not honoring
women with the virtuous position they deserve. "That does not harm you.
It only harms the society" he says.