CHANDRA’S DEATH

Tags

Is an event of significance in one part of western world

But its ramifications have ranged beyond its geographical space

Similiart to the reading that you have done in the first module, Great cat massacre

Isolated event of a pregnant woman dying

However,why should this particular event attract so much attention?

Death of this pregnant woman changes the whole dynamic

Her killing is the by product of the abortion

Are we only looking at the only isolated incident of Chandra’s death?

It is significant because it sets the ground for our understanding of our early colonial state,
economy and judicial processes

Why was there a need to worry about hiding the abortion? Who is the aggrieved party here?

Through the prism of the case, early modern bENGAL

Bengal has a deep interaction with the early colonial period

It also tells you how little British impacted the Indian society,

Its imprint on Bengal was very week

Here, they are given a task to govern a community or country who they know very little
about

Knowledge gathering and gaining information about the natives

Interaction is very limited - because they suspect that there would be backlash

CASE REMINDED OF SHAH BANO CASE

Although, it is about subaltern movement, but it also tells you a great deal abt the proceses
involved in Rural Bengal. How British has impacted this geographical space.

CHANDRA’S DEATH 1
 Any historical readings - Basically, that you need to contextualise it in history,You need to
situate in the political and social makeup of that particular point of time. Eg, widow
remmariage, or consent - you will have to see the larger context in which these images
appeared.

Why was the society not ready to accept widow marriage? It was a question of property.
Child was able to inherit the property of that household, if she marries someone else, child
will still be able to inherit the property.

NIRBHAYA RAPE CASE - Happened in Delhi, Extremely Brutal, 2012(when everyone

was fed up with the governemnt, questioning the policy paralisis), particular community felt
that the response was minimal.

Ryan International Murder case, Roe v. Wade, OJ Simpson trials, Shayara Bano case,Me too
movement, Ranjan Gogoi Sexual Assault Case,2G spectrum, Khairlanji murder
case,Mathura Rape case, Nupur Sharma’s remarks, India’s most wanted Show

Unless you have contextualised the case

Me too Movement.

contextualising and situating it in the larger scheme of things

Underlying factors come into surface

Burden of this affair on Chandra itself, although there are two people involved in this
relationship.Hurriedly botched up abortion - Abortion has to be done, or else there wil be
sanction on their community by the Brahmans, How brahmanical norms were imposed on
the larger section of the society? Religious class/Land holding class/Educated Class.

Brahmanical code, was only applicable to women. Bhawri Men were out of it. Bhawri were
petrified of the consequences that would happen had the abortion not been succesful. It
upsetted the so-called norm or the balance this society had.

Orthodox view of how the society ought to be

The pauperisation of the tenants and the cultivators: WHOLE OF FAMILY were involved in
this abortion. Suddenly had to rely on the males of the family.A woman was the principal
deciding factor when it came to household, but when it came to society issues she was not
anymore.

Patriarchy and male-centric notions of chastity// was not limited to Brahmins. It percolated
to the lower tiers of the society. By saying that these are the societal standards, you have to

CHANDRA’S DEATH 2
 adhere to them.

“Doctor was surprised when he realised that Chandra was the one making the payment and
not any one else.”

Notions of purity, pollution early on-

Why does her sister, mother and immediate family members get together and administer
poison to their loved one?

Alternative to this - social suicide, They did not want Chandra to have a life of shame.

Law did not look at the lover, women referred with relation to males

looking at the society through the prism of men.

PANCHAYAT IS THE STATE,

Even though the colonial state had established itself, it had not percolated to the lower
levels.

Conquest did not imply complete control over the population. Soceity is still the barrier, that
acts as the middle point between the state and the lowest rung of the society.

Two aspects: Caste, Patriarchy

Lower caste women were disposable income

everywhere there is patriarchy, it is the matriarchy that reinforces the norms of patriarchy.
matriarchy aids the persistence of patriarchal values.

How did the affair start? if you have the start of the affair, there would have been a fixing
of the burden. Deliberate omission of this very important info

Societal justice as it panned out was ready to alter things

SHE DIGRESSED, SHE HAD THE PREGNANCY. Hence, she should pay for it.

What is the state doing? Colonial state. We know about the state from three particular
instances. Cash transaction- requirement or necessity of cash transaction. Colonial system of
give and take or cash exchange had replaced the earlier systems. It also tells you that cash
was something that

Peasants were busy settling the accoubts. Shortfall of necessary cash transactions in the
village. Entire household had to be galvanised. IN order to administer this so-called societal
notion of justice.

CHANDRA’S DEATH 3
 Not involved in administering justice on state

Still, there is no affixing of responsibilty

Her lover is issuing the ultimatum

Unless and until Majaram had not given the ultimatum, maybe the abortion would not have
been carried out.

women shall pay the price for transgressions.

Acc and testimony -

Emotional detachment of these actors in the story.

(3) She will have to become a sevadasi. Women in households not well off. Woman was
dedicated to a temple or a priest where she spent her life. Illegitimate progeny was done with
to keep the societal codes in conduct. If you become a sevadasi, still frowned at. Lower caste
women are the disposable entity.

At some points in the story, women have the agency to make the decisions while in other
they do not have this agency.

State is only present but not an active participant in the story.

(4)Colonial state relied on pandits to aid them in administering the justice.Scriptual and
textual focus british had, There was also oral law or customary law which was
communicated to each generation verbally. What was the law of the land was somethin that
the British caught on to? Hence, scriptures were written down and it was fixed.There were
parallel courts. British had to adjust themselves to not destablise these parallel courts but to
facilitate them. Smaller cases had to be settled by the village panchayat.

Zamindari abolition- tenants do not have cash to buy the land. Hence, why it was a failure.
Charan Singh to Nehru.

Deepa Mehta’s movie WATER

chandra’s death is a prism through which you see the early bengal with the activities of
the colonial state and the codes as well as law. With the coming of the colonial state,
does the law change ? No, infact the colonial state aids the codes and lower rungs in
order to have a rapport.

SHAH BANO CASE

Changed the course of history in the 80s and 90s

CHANDRA’S DEATH 4
 Studying this case in isolation would be a mistake

the context and the impact of the judgement

overturning of the judgement by the executive-

doors of masjid open for prayer, consequence to rajiv gandhi appease hindu majority,
judgement was a backlash to self-seeking maulanas who felt threatened

No one knows the course of history

case where woman was seeking maintanence from the husband.

A case which has nothing to do with politics becomes a centre of it.

Hindu v. Muslim

Contextualise these cases/ why is that happening?

Context and the impact this judgement had on the society at that point of time is very
important

Modern India - ModernTech

Not only faultered, hindu and muslim fundamentalist forces

23rd April, 1985 - landmark judgment, Divorced muslim woman will be paid maintanence
under Sn of Crpc.

There is no conflict b.w provisions of Sn 125 and muslim personal law.

Created an uproar.

Muslim fundamentalists said it interfered with their right to freely practice faith

Initially, R.G was visionary about Modern India.

R.G - Arif Mohammed Khan / defend the judgement

Party would lose minority votes had they not spoken up against the judgement

ANSARI - cabinet minister in front against the judgment

Islamic law - women should be kept outside of the Islamic personal law.

Muslim women protection of rights and divorce act, 1956 - overturned the SC
judgement//legislation damaged his image as a progressive leader.

Accused government of appeasement to the muslim communities.

CHANDRA’S DEATH 5
 Here, it shifts to Ayodhya case.

Ramifications go beyond

ADM JABALPUR JUDGEMENT

NOTE

Why is it significant? How does it fit in the larger scheme of things?

CHANDRA’S DEATH 6