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09 - Chapter 4 PDF
09 - Chapter 4 PDF
09 - Chapter 4 PDF
prose.
209
the image of sita and Savitiri, a chaste, spiritual Hindu
woman who did not smoke or drink was created, which would
help distinguish her both from the western woman and the
with.
father Giani Kartar Singh Hitkari that she acquired her love
of books and learning, he had learnt Sanskrit and the skill
of the hakims at an ashram, was a scholar of Brij Bhasha,
210
renunciation and riches faced by her father and the mark
211
occasionally. Indeed, I sometimes have a craving
book, with the case going on for months. On the other hand
years. 2
212
monthly magazine, that it was vulgar, sex-oriented and plain
deal with the nine months of pregnancy and the tenth one
pregnant Tripta.
213
sexuality and desire.
214
and women by opposing their call for assistance which saw
215
and increased artisan production, there appeared an
relations between men and women. Thus, for Amar Das, the
code of living was laid down for both husband and wife to
progress.
216
was discarded, widow remarriage encouraged and women told to
heroes?" 8
217
Sahiban, Sassi and others, since they are supposed to be
songs, but as earthy rural women, who on the one hand gave
218
Gurdeep Kaur Cheema points out how writers like
Bhai Puran Singh and Bhai Vir Singh, true to the reformist
discourse, no longer saw women as responsible for the down
fall of men, accorded them respect and honour, but saw them
women.
219
Later writers, J. s. Kanwal, Narinder Pal Singh,
Sant Singh Sekhon under the influence of a 'Socialist
realism' , Cheema comments, see women like workers, as the
oppressed and have represented them realistically, Surinder
romantisation.
220
striving to transcend old feudal frame of values, whereas
thereof."
221
history of Punjabi literature, Singh's love poems presenting
Ann Data!
222
Main chamm di guddi
Lahu da piala
"Akhan Waris Shah Nu", Pritam calls upon Waris Shah, the
well-known medieval poet of women's love in the Punjab to
223
Aj lakhan dhian rondian
daughters.
224
Besides the imagery of nature and the elements :
Wind, sun, stars, rains, sky, fire, fish, birds, tree, leaf,
objects - kitchen, bread, pots and pans, oven, lamp oil and
wick, rice and milk, tea and cigarettes are found in
Age through Slave and Feudal society, the capitalist age and
socialist society.
225
representation of women in Punjabi literature beginning with
ancient and Bhakti literature, the literature of the Sikh
226
alone. Referring to her earlier deliberations on the status
demands. 16
'227
It was however 'the creation of this new resilient
228
Later centuries are understood to be the 'Dark
'Arthnarishewar':
229
consciousness which can be described by words like
230
question of marriage where she traces the rights and duties
connected with marriage as having changed through time, the
reasons for such changes being both economic and political.
231
chastity in order to ensure paternity.
for women who committed adultery but not for men who were
guilty of the same crime. Pritam argues that since this had
various laws and rules being created keeping only the needs
of men in mind.
232
dicholomies and the woman's question had been historically
two sisters in 1
Maalika 1 or between the wife and 1
Twaifh 1 in
prevent her and other girls like her from realising their
dreams.
233
desire to conform to social roles as well as as her
helping her deliver her baby girl, Mitoo. Time also seems
when it was Vidya instead of Dr. Rai on the same bed in the
same room.
234
and ruin' in the beginning, which is how a lesbian
~itJj
f
Q tA.. •\
&~~1 1"\\~l Ci_e:r ~\ ~
~ ..,...
and then later for the child, until one day he deserts them
possibly because
235
on with Dr. Rai
~ -v ~ ... 2;\~1 tl ~ ~
~-rt ~'Ctoi.-1 ~ v\i ~ ·-(rlfJ~
Till he just as suddenly leaves again one~·-·
day:
Mr. Rai
-
remembers the letter with the foreign
postmark, which has just two lines in it:
236
And it is along these lines that Vidya defines the
question
Vidya says:
~ (nd~ ~?~111,
3)J t .:( )1,
237
blame and no other woman would have bothred about Vidya:
3\~~J-a~
c=; £\ ~ -),\~~J e~ c
~ f~1 oe ~ (_ \\~)3 ),
And once again it is Vidya who defines their
~
~~\~
I,
U\ ts£\ ~ bo6
l. \
'-\~
~-.s-)\\ ~~ ~ ill D J\~~ ~·",
3 C){ ~.
- (J~~)5:t,
Thus in Pr i tam's story the concerns of the
protagonists do not centre around their sexuality or the
search for a language in which communication could be
possible but the more fundamental issues of existence. it
is the which are of importance for Vidya and which
238
and desire is however controlled and constrained by factors
this story.
239
Gulbati however finds the Kurmi boys the most
attractive:
~~~
'2\ (};;, c. 1
<Z- \"'i\
240
Gulbati relates this injustice :to that o f caste:
w ~ Xi QIC,) ~ ~
L1.. ~ d_S ~ 'M I -R.. .Q._ ~ ~ J ~-A i£'~
0J.~f\ o..\U :D ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ fl
~· ~ 'lV\\J ~ ~v~w
'
w ~ ~~ c:-~ a~ 3'?f.:, ~ ~
0 Q-m <ti\i ~'<h ;D T~ ~:s.{\ 1
241
that is, it is Gulbati's selfhood and sexuality
s
villages she tells Rangilal:
~
s
~- ~ bC~
The Panchayats rule that Hemsingh pay a fine of
Rs. 200/- which is given to Rangilal and Gulbati is allowed
to go with Hemsingh.
242
she is pregnant with his child, she awaits Hemsingh's
their unborn child. She lies to him that she was carrying
Rangilal's child:
village for her father's village. When the father sends for
Rangilal who agrees to accept Gulbati back, Gulbati refuses
243
to go back to him:
"""t";J_-y--l
f\r-\
~'r.,,...-(c:~~~:s ?~ n
~ .J ~
tb 1 ~,.9-
i'Y\\C\C VI
to ask Gulbati:
~ ~,:))~j~ft
;[\~\ "-j I oee Lll ~ \.t('
244
Sonia is shaken and asks again:
n- '1\.'-CL ~ ~ Jlb£1.'b~ ~ 0-
to which she answers: f_'u\
l\~ \ '·~
~ ..
daughter as only her own and the newly born boy as only Dr.
Rai 1 s child:
245
Having rejected Rangilal since he could in no way
responsibility both for her own life and that of the child
father who has conceived it only through his body and not
his soul.
246
'Undine' however, this subjectivity must be sought in a
daughter, wife and mother which deny the Indian woman her
247
abducted one evening by Rashid, a Muslim youth belonging to
the Sheikh family who have sworn revenge on the Shahs for
their treatment of Rashid's uncle and for forcibly keeping
With her chastity also in doubt they know that no one will
3o z....
m d :JiT~ \ J:~ ~~) <!...
248
Rejected by her parents, Puro leaves her home with
suicide in mind, is however saved by Rashid.
feels:
And Puro would like to get rid of the child, remove it from
her womb:
l .. ~~
7
~_J_
\\~'\
~ \
·-·-··
7\~, ·L\
--\- . ,.,·:;;~\ 't<:\
[.' ' ~ \' )'~ ~i) \.
249
For Rashid the birth of their son signifies victory over
Puro:
"dil£ ;r ~~ ~ }~-,H\
8i ~b"M\ \ ~~ z_F- cz ~~\~
'{ 8 7>\, -R.., ~~Rot~~,)~~~
£)· '~· L.t~ Cl ~ ~ ~ \
?. o ~ ~eoM E3c:>i\ c-> J>' a
"'fv\\~ ~ r~ <53\ -A- ~
D-'- 1 ~ QJ£\ ~ ?\'-~1 ':hCI
~)'\?> D~ *"I~~~~
q~ ~ ri\ n\ \ (_}ct) s-~
Puro's thoughts however reflect her sense of defeat:
~ ~ ~ f\ ')IA\.)~l ~ ~
~ Th 1fV\ \V\ '=---' iVi\iX ~
~ ~ trJ -zy~ ((,;u,\ ~ c: I
c_ft
ffi a~£. 2'0 m ~.n --K\ c&
Her feelings towards her newly - born son reflect
{::~f{..<.J,c)
ambivalence - both an acceptance of him as well as
250
rejection, since motherhood has been forced on her:
W
- ~\ qA~ -~ ~~ ~'M ~\tJJ
. ~ J: ~ l 1t\3 \ ~ ')V\\2-\-8 ~
X\ bi't t:\ ·m \ ~~ 8J:t ~,u-i\
~~ V ~ ~ \ gTI w q[i;;MI.-
Q~::c~· ~ ~~~ ~u~ ~ 1_•-(4".) '
0
And yet when the child is sucking at her breast she feels :
251
This personal oppression forces on Puro the
role as mother, feed and look after the child. But Puro is
252
Puro would like to adopt Kamo, become her mother:
!
~ \4&~. $ ,;, f_ hl :?,-
~~ CZ1 t 11\t.. c ObJ~
Puro is also attracted to Taro, a girl in the
neighbourhood, who has been married for two years, but seems
that every time the girl returns from her huSband's home she
~11~ ~ ~ "'J\9o.,;,
L\~ ~\~a
t ~
,,~ u (I
JS
_, £)f ; -m \ "t.A c:J
\.-\ lCl ~
- - ~ ~\ ~~~\ E\ (~ec.(s-c)
66
Taro becomes vocal about her suffering though she
254
Taro however feels she is reduced to an object,
~ ~ 3~
the first time that she had experienced the fact that girls
could also think this way, speak in this manner. Though sbe
255
Later, confronted with the pregnancy of a madwoman
in the village, Puro, together with the other women of the
oppression:
256
,
Ra~hin r.annot accept their logic:
~ c£fl ~
ztS\ ~
. -
"~ ~ .tf'(b
~ 9-':f.-
~
~ '!- t t cttf\"' -- t lrt [r~ .
And Puro and Rashid are forced into handing over the
child:
Puro brings her home and hides her in the store-house. When
Lajjo from the house and restore her to her husband and her
258
Puro would like to believe that:
~- nl ~ nl ~ 3l?
'Y1 h C£)11\ M i -~q,\ ~ {\ f\ J11. UU~
'?0;H~ zu~i\ c.tB~ 'Y\-n~B31-
\\' ~l ~ :?t F &·_).rf ~~~ft
v~- ? l "~ (_ t-3V
Though Rashid is responsible for the destruction
and ruin of her life, for Puro he is now the father of her
child, the man she had grown to love. She tells Lajjo:
slowly starts to care for him, and who prefers to stay with
him rather than return to her parents at the time of
Partition, 24 Pritam herself explains Puro's decision to stay
259
the beginning, Pure is an innocent young girl, a mere object
the girl child Kame, Taro, the mad woman so that is able to
intervene in their lives and finally also play a major role
260