Our Cause. A Symposium by Indian Women.

435 Pages·1938·28.456 MB·English

by  Shyam Kumari Nehru

OUR CAUSE
A SYMPosIuM BY INDIAN WOMEly
Edited by
SITYAM KUMARI NEHRU
Nov 2020 at 14:16:12
University on 26
Nehru
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ALLAHABAD
KITABISTAN
SEVENTEEN A CITY ROAD
Nov 2020 at 14:16:12
University on 26
Nehru
waharlal
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Do

ALLAHABAD LAW JOURNAL PRESS, ALLAHABAD
M. N. PANDEY - PRINTER
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Nov 2020 at 14:16:12
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CONTENTS
PAGE
INTRODUCTION: Sbyam.Kumari Nehru ix
.. ..
RETROSPECT
THE POSITION OF HwDu Wo,EN FIFrY YEARS
AGO: Cornelia Sorabji 3
.. ..
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EDUCATION
EDUCATION OF Wong AND Gs: Hannah
Sen .. .. .. .. .. .. 93•
ARTS
WoMAiv AS ARTIST: Rukmini Devi .. .. 113
INDIAN DANCING: Sbrimati Hutbeesing .. .. III
INDUSTRY
Women IN INDUSTRY: Kamala Cbatterjee .. 129
WOMEN AND FILM INDUSTRY: Lihwati Muns2i .. 158
v
CONTENTS
PAGE
RURAL LIFE
OUR VILLAGE TO-DAY: Protima Tagore ... .. 167
VILLAGE RECONSTRUCTION : Sbareefe -Hamid Ali 172
TRAFFIC IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN
TRAFFIc IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN: Laksbmi
Nandan Menon .. ..
. . .. .. 183 •
7
SOCIAL EVILS •
Hi//a Rustamji•
PURDAH : .. 201
SECLUSION OF WON: Attia Habibullab .. 203
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Do POLITICAL STRUGGLE

WOMEN AND POLITICAL STRUGGLE: G. J. Bba-
t .. .. .. .. .. 321
'WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE IN INDIA : Aruna Araf Ali 345
WOMEN UNDER THE NEW CONSTITUTION: Amrit
Kara .. .. .. .. .. .. 366
FUTURE OF INDIAN WOMAN
FUTURE of INDIAN WoMEN s MovEmSN'T :
Kama/adevi tbatto^iadbyaya .. .. 385
WHITHER WOMEN ? : Uma Nehru ' .. 403
vi
INTRODUCTION
Nov 2020 at 14:16:12
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Nov 2020 at 14:16:12
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INWROD JCT[ON
The feminist movement in India has assumed such
proportions that it is no longer possible to ignore it.
There is much unrest among women, a general desire
to change the existing state of things, and a determi-
nation to shape it nearer to the hearts desire. Various
concessions have been made to them in recent years, and
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waharlal Nehru lffeiuemll des v aoanfl duth afeat icvotanosr toy fm. tTahhjeoeirr ti itpmyo eos ifht wiaoson mh aoenwnde— vseothrm ece owtmhoiern kfgoe rrms a ui ncsta t rbheee-
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Do the needs of women of a particular class. A stage has,
however, now been reached when it is necessary for
the Indian woman to review her whole position in
society and place a definite objective before herself
so as to determine the lines of work for the future.
Woman in India has passed through various phases.
In primitive society when the only law was that there
was no law, the system of communal marriage prevail-
ed. The Mahabharata tells us how at one,time women
consorted with men like cattle; and how thg practice
was put down by Svetketu who introduced for the
first time the institution of marriage. This system of
ix
INTRODUCTION
communal marriages, however, had not in any way
subordinated woman to man. During the early Vedic
period she lived a life of perfect freedom and equality.
But as the idea of private property developed she gra-
dually lost her independents positi&n; her physical weak-
ness and disadvantagesgave an excuse for the assign-
ment to her of a definitely inferior status. She came
to be considered a drag on society, was looked down
upon, and was placed in a position of subordination
and helplessness. She continued to fall loaves in the
scale till the Codes of Manu summed up her position
thus,—"a wife, a son, and a slave, these three even are
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waharlal The advent of Islam in India did not bring about
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Do exclusion, otherwise known as purdab, which came

into existence during Muslim rule. The partial seclu-
sion of women had been common even in ancient days,
but the feeling of insecurity that followed the inroads
of the conquerors from abroad, together with the in-
ferior status of Hindu woman which was well established,
a
greatly helped the development of prrrdab and rigidity
that made any progress impossible. It must be re-
membered, Jiough, that this institution was. mainly
confined to the middle and upper classes. The tillers
of the soil could not afford to adopt these institutions of
the rich, and the divergence between the various grades
x