FEMINIST IDEAS OF AND ITS HOLISTIC EXPLANATION

Md. Reazul Haque1 Harunur Rashid2

Abstract Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, an instrumental feminist of Indian subcontinent who firstly affirmed women empowerment in the subcontinent and identified the causes of women downfall when only allowed women to live as a domestic service provider and caregiver. Footing on the idea of justice and equity, Rokeya used radical, liberal and Marxist feminist ideas to explain exploitation by the patriarchy. She further argued that poverty for women arose firstly from inheritance discrimination and social de-recognition which created a million hindrances extending injustice and discrimination of wealth and self-esteem before and after marriage life. For making rationale of her work on the moral ground of social justice, Rokeya‟s ideas are classified, in this paper, into four basic matrix of social justice including redistribution, recognition, affirmation, and transformation like Fraser‟s Idea of social justice. It implies that Rokeya emphasized using different feminist approaches depending on the socio-economic structure of society to break social restriction for removing discrimination through justice with recognition in social context and redistribution of inheritance. Rokeya‟s suggestion women must have education to challenge this social discrimination and for economic employment to reflect capability building. Having emphasized radical, liberal and Marxist feminist idea, for the recognition of society in public space and redistribution of inheritance and ownership rights in all spheres of social construction, Rokeya urged that economic empowerment with education can lead women to justice. Therefore, only citing her radical or liberal or Marxist feminist ideas will be a partial explanation of Rokeya's work, as her struggle for justice with different feminist perspective centralizes on capability building through economic empowerment.

Keywords: Rokeya, , Recognition, Redistribution, Social Justice, Capability and Roekya‟s Social Justice.

1 Md. Reazul Haque PhD is Professor, Department of Development Studies, . Email: [email protected] 2 Harunur Rashid is Researcher & Assistant Secretary, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Social Science Review [The Dhaka University Studies, Part-D], Vol. 35, No. 2, December 2018 2 Haque and Rashid

Introduction Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain as an instrumental feminist thinker urged that economic empowerment with education can pave the way for social justice and capability development. She used different feminist tools at different times for establishing justice through ensuring equal rights. The similarity of Rokeya‟s writing with liberal, radical and Marxist feminist thinking further intensifies the confusion and raises the question-of specifying the feminist thought of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain. These thoughts establish the idea of , social discrimination, economic empowerment with education and self-respect through social recognition. Finally, it puts emphasis on economically self-dependent women with just redistribution of wealth and inheritance rights. For all of these human rights, she centralized her ideas on capability building where agency and wellbeing got importance through economic empowerment and self-consciousness. Therefore, sometimes education, as a core concept of Human Development, became the cornerstone of solution in her writing 'Subeh Sadik' essay. While emphasizing equal rights for women in her work entitled 'God Gives Man Robs', she became a spiritual person and defined enslaved tendency being the basic cause behind-women- backwardness. Sometimes, she demanded equity for human development in 'Shu Grihini' (Best Homemakers) in her book, „Motichur‟ identifying religious, cultural, and social confinement as hindrances to women freedom. Similarly, she also explored that patriarchal domination caused discrimination towards women and so her struggle centralized on social justice. Along with these, she identified that poverty of women arose firstly from inheritance- related discrimination and then, social de-recognition and lack of redistribution of wealth extended injustice and discrimination of wealth and self-esteem. Given the fact, most of the writers become interested in partial explanation of Rokeya‟s writing and not centralization of her ideas on the ground of women emancipation from all sorts of exploitation and social justice. Therefore, the authors compares idea of social justice by Fraser, N. (1997) with Roekya‟s idea of social justice, as the objective of Rokeya‟s writing in overall, include struggle against exploitation, marginalization, deprivation, and breaking tools of all sort of injustice against women in a society. Rokeya‟s and Frasers‟ politics of recognition are rooted in social patterns of representation, cultural domination, and economic employment. Both had the same objectives and the social justice can tune out the discrimination against women by ensuring women‟s social status and equal rights, for which Rokeya had devoted her whole life. Feminist Ideas of Begum Rokeya and Its Holistic Explanation 3

Methodology of the Study Based on the secondary literature from the journal article, newspaper report & article and forth-nightly Bengali publication, the discrete view of different writers about Rokeya feminist ideas are integrated. Then to prepare a holistic view of explanation for Rokeya‟s Feminist idea, the authors identified the liberal, radical and Marxist argument against patriarchal construction in Rokeya‟s writing. At the second stage, comparing her idea with Fraser‟s Social Justice, the authors focus on illuminating and exploring the complex arguments to reduce the conflict of explanation prepared by other writers. It tends to help the authors to centralize Rokeya‟s ideas on Social Justice that requires both redistribution and recognition.

Ideas of Rokeya and Different Feminist Perspective Like Wollstonecraft, (1974) Rokeya also identified the weak point of socialization process of the subcontinent for women and explained why patriarchal domination continues. She further urged, 'to be middle-class lady, women, sacrifice health, liberty, and virtue for whatever prestige pleasure and power a husband can provide' (p.36). Primitive liberal thinker, Wollstonecraft, (1974) identified women‟s negligence towards education as the main source of misery that makes them weak and wretched. Rokeya did the same in „Better Half and Down Fall of Women‟. Regarding this issue, in twenty century, Nussbaum, C. M. (2000) affirmed that unequal social and political circumstances gave women unequal human capabilities. While Rokeya in 1900 identified these as causes behind lack of capabilities which in turn contributes to exploiting women? Drawing from those literatures, the authors argue that women are not treated as means (forerunner of development) and ends (consumer of development), achieving from their own struggle. Instead, they are treated as a reproducer, caregiver, sexual outlet or an agent of family‟s general economic and social development. Here, in explaining these realities Rokeya's argument has become clear in the article titled 'Confined lady in Haram' (Oborodbashini).Like Nussbaum, C. M. (2000), Rokeya urged that oppression of women is not an intentional act of an individual but the product of social construction which Acton, B.H. (1967) explained as the political, social, and economic structure associated with capitalism. Like Henry, B. A (1967) Rokeya‟s writings prove that there is a false class-consciousness in women, as they sometimes play the role of wives, daughter, friends, lovers of proletarian men and they have no sense of human demand; especially in „Shurgrihini‟, Rokeya identified how women become the daily utensils 4 Haque and Rashid of patriarchal society. But women do not feel their individual role and identity in the social arena. Specially, an interesting understanding emerges when Rokeya‟s argument in Sultana‟s Dream (Hossain, 1908, pp. 484-496) is focused. A women dreaming of domination of women over men introduce us to the female culture and radical feminist thought like Kate, M. (1992). Rokeya urged indirectly in “Sultana‟s Dream” to install the female domination with the destruction of the sex-gender system. In addition to that, in “Toroni Vobon” novel, she cited that the male domination is the real source of women's oppression. It draws conclusions like Kate, M. (1992).“Unless the clinging to male supremacy as a birthright is finally forgone, all systems of oppression will continue to function simply by virtue of their logical and emotional mandate”. Finally, Rokeya, like Kate, M. (1970), affirmed that the ultimate solution to the patriarchal imposition of femininity and male-control must be eliminated with economic empowerment and education for women to be liberated.

Nancy Fraser's Social Justice and Ideas of Begum Rokeya Hossain, S. R. (1905) identified religious bindings and social construction as instruments of de-recognition like Fraser‟s social de-recognition that hinders women‟s education and reduces social patterns of women representation and self- respect. Rokeya, in her „Ordhangi‟ article, especially emphasized the equality by birth and argued that Allah makes equal men and women. She criticized social restriction that hinders women‟s freedom and equal right within society. Similarly, in the article of, „Borqa‟, „Downfall of Women‟ and the book „Oborodbashini‟, she identified that the inheritance-related deprivation of Muslim women is the cause of poverty for them. It proves that Rokeya had identified this problem before the western thinkers assessed it and for justice like Fraser, N. (1997), she urged for the necessity of redistribution and recognition as every struggle against injustice implies demands for both redistribution and recognition. Here redistribution implies the distribution of something in a different way to achieve greater social equality. While political recognition-theories developed out political movement centering the idea of gender, sexuality, race and culture. Therefore, as per Taylor (1994) view, “Recognition is an indispensable means of understanding and justifying the demands of these identity movements”. We know that the socio-economic injustice, rooted in the political-economic structure of society such as exploitation, economic marginalization and deprivation where women are not different from Rokeya‟s time. The explanation provided by two is Feminist Ideas of Begum Rokeya and Its Holistic Explanation 5 more similar and therefore, the authors think that Rokeya always explored only social and religious confinement as the basic cause behind women‟s poor socio-economic status. Similarly, the second understanding of injustice, according to Fraser, is cultural or symbolic what Rokeya stated as socialization process of women with social and religious binding. This socialization process provides little space for women because of social patterns of representation and here, injustice is rooted in social patterns of representation, interpretation and communication.

The Idea of 'Empowerment and Rokeya Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain defined empowerment as a process in which women‟s self-esteem and capability grow and help them to have economically employed outside the household. There is a logical relation between poverty and economic disempowerment that can be reduced with the Rokeya‟s proposal of just redistribution of inheritance and social recognition of women and self-respect, as cited by Rokeya in Better-half, Borqa and Shugrihini. Here, Rokeya argued that social restriction had created an insufficiency for meeting women‟s basic needs, reducing the ability to exercise meaningful choice and this reality is verily understood from the story of Rokeya Oborodbashini (Hossain, 1908, pp. 307-334) and also got clarified by her definition. Therefore, Rokeya urged that lack of ability to exercise power with education does not allow women to go outside the four walls. So, before the specification of meanings, Rokeya defined empowerment as economic empowerment with education that leads to a life free from social and religious restrictions. Here, her idea of empowerment is similar to the sociological definition of empowerment where it focuses that women are socially excluded from decision- making processes through discrimination based on disability, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Therefore, Mahajan, V. (2012) informed that Rokeya had urged to go outside the four walls of social and religious restrictions which is the basic source of women empowerment. Liberal feminists like Serdar, B. and Shea, P.S. (2015) extended the meaning of empowerment for women to be in a public sphere. After all, the evolution of empowerment of women is seen under the definition of United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) as the understanding of gender relations, developing a sense of self-worth, the right to control one‟s own life, gaining the ability to generate choices, exercise bargaining power, developing the ability to influence the direction of social change, to create a more just society in terms of economic order. 6 Haque and Rashid

Own Understanding The previous arguments on Rokeya created confusion and contradiction when explored from the central points of radical, liberal, and Marxist views as most of the writers analyzed her view from the partial preference of specific feminist ideology. But from the social-constructive viewpoint, it is much more accepted based on social justice. In 'Women Downfall (Hossain, 1905, pp. 307-334), Rokeya just defined how men had become the owner of the women and how women had become slaves because of 'Lack of knowledge' (Nakis Ul Akel) and finally, she identified 'Dog- Collar' as necklace of women and urged, 'Our cow owner bind rope in cows' nose, while husbands make their wives wear nose jewelry'. Thus, it proves that women behavior is biologically and socially constructed and therefore, Rokeya affirmed, 'we cannot face danger as we prefer to keep safe and avoid the dangerous path‟. Given the fact, woman‟s capability to live a good life cannot be defined as the set of valuable 'being & doing'. As a result, women within social constructions become domestic animals what Engel, F. (1972) cited as the domestication of women through child-reproduction-system. Under the dominance or ownership of men, women cannot find freedom of choice in the area of Human Development. Therefore, she further added, "to become equal to men, women have to do all that things what is necessary". Through this argument, Rokeya noted that because of having no education, women were lagging behind to have justice. And having unequal opportunities, they have less option to enhance capability, though justice requires equal capabilities to function. Therefore, she identified these causes in Oborodbashini' (Secluded Women) and also conservative approach in 'Borqa' article as the factors that compel women to be lag behind. Rokeya emphasized equity in the article 'Ordhangini' (Better Half), and explain the necessity of capability building effort for women to lead a life that women have reason to value. Here firstly, Rokeya defined women as an object by giving the example of Iranian women. Similarly, with the example of Shita, she defined women having no power, emotion, affiliation, control, and other capabilities as defined Nussbaum, C.M. (2000):

A slave or abused women may eventually become convinced that a moderately comfortable enslavement or oppression is the best as cannot prefer greater freedom (p.23) Compared to the idea of Nussbaum, Rokeya was not directly against religion but against the religious superstitions. For this reason, she might be considered liberal and also a supporter of the social constructivist idea in some cases. She defined the lack of Feminist Ideas of Begum Rokeya and Its Holistic Explanation 7 education being the only reason behind women lagging behind from their socio- economic status. Her arguments on God‟s equity between man and women and maternal service equity prove that women are equal to men. Similarly, in 'Shugrihini', she just analyzed necessity of education to explore the women‟s capabilities, especially in case of' Control Over one's Environment'. She further demanded women to be better housewives and urged; all women should have some necessary characteristics for which education and equal opportunities are must. Likewise, in 'Borqa' she informed; because of living in four walls or in Zenana, women do not develop her capabilities and cannot become educated. Rokeya proved that the striving for equality should be a collective process that could be achieved by spreading awareness among fellow inmate, inhabiting the prison of patriarchy like her establishment of girl schools and Toroni Vobon in the novel. So, Rokeya explored that freedom as an economic empowerment before 1990 was catalyst for women emancipation, on which Nussbaum‟s explanation comes in details in 2000. As Nussbaum affirmed, 'agency' and 'wellbeing' is the ultimate solution to this exploitation. There are similarities between the idea of Nussbaum and Rokeya‟s idea when Nussbaum, C.M. (2000) noted:

The core idea is that of the human being, a dignified free being who shapes his or her own life in cooperation and reciprocity with other rather than being passively shaped or pushed around by the world in the manner of 'flock' or 'herd' A human life is shaped by these human power of practical reason and sociability, (p.49). Similarly, in the Article 'Griho', Rokeya‟s explanation was as like as 'Domestication of Women' through false class consciousness. While in Marxist feminist idea, having the role of mother, wife, sister, housewives, child rearing contribution, cooking; women have no conscious of class interest as they all time serve the interest of others and family member. Here, enslaved mentality of women and ignorance make them dolls of patriarchal 'Hegemony'. It is also true that in the idea of 'Oborodbashini' (Hossain, 1908, pp. 307-334), Rokeya proved that women had lived as inhuman beings and were compelled to lead life in a birdcage. From the above discussion, firstly, it can be seen that Rokeya has urged the necessity of women‟s capability building through education and economic empowerment and become radical, in 'Sultana's Dream', to remove the patriarchal domination, socio- economic control while her radical idea, in 'God Gives Man Robs', necessarily proves her a radical feminist. Given the fact, to voice against discrimination, sometimes she plays the role of a radical, liberal and Marxist feminist. Sometimes, she supports the 8 Haque and Rashid role of social constructivist and avoids religious criticism that raises the probability of conflict. However, when the authors define her contribution as a social reformer who only demands social justice in terms of redistribution and recognition, he accepts that she was a revolutionary and a social reformer. As her struggle for Recognition started from the collective women struggle in 'Torini Vobon' in Padmarag novel and in reality, the example is Sakhwat Memorial School, where she put emphasis on the development of women‟s consciousness through education and collective movement for education. Therefore, she directly did not revolt against the patriarchal society but she did so logically and consciously. The authors simplify the whole literature of Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain from the viewpoint of social justice through social recognition and social redistribution, as patriarchal domination may become neutral through social recognition with cultural and religion reform. Similarly, economic empowerment is possible through redistribution with ensuring inheritance right. We assumed that 'Padmaraag' novel determines her role as social welfare activist, though other writings prove her a radical, liberal and Marxist feminist. Therefore, being a reformer, her article 'Griho', is directly related with the Marxist idea of feminism while 'Obarodhbashini' is clearly relevant with the capability of human being. On the other hand, in some story of 'Obarodhbashini', she presents women as an object of patriarchal society and proves that the absence of education creates the hindrance to capability building. Similarly, in 'Strijatir Obanati', she discussed in overall how women became a mere instrument of reproduction of child and object to society, where domestication of women happened through monogamy practice like Marxist feminist arguments. At the same time in 'Ordhangi', she just defines actual inequality of women in Bengali society and also defines that the absence of equality hampers the social process of development, though she defines her role in Burqa as a social reformer. It is also true that in 'Shugrihini', she urged a minimum level of education is necessary for family maintenance like a liberal feminist while her writing Sultana‟s Dream exactly contains the idea of the radical feminist. Given the facts, it proves that she has taken different feminist roles at different times only for this rigid society to allow a change in social construction and to establish the equal rights for women with the capability building of Bengali women.

Theory Based Explanation of Rokeya’s Idea The authors centralize Rokeya‟s liberal, radical and Marxist argument against patriarchal construction on Nancy Fraser's Social Justice that requires both Feminist Ideas of Begum Rokeya and Its Holistic Explanation 9 redistribution and recognition. As Sen, A.(2000) argued, 'Justice requires ensuring that people have equal capabilities to function' which Dworkin, R.(2009) viewed as 'equality of sources' just like the notion of equal opportunity for men and women by Rokeya. Based on her idea, we can say every struggle against injustice implies demands for both redistribution and recognition. There are two types of injustices: the first one is the socioeconomic injustice which is rooted in the political-economic structure of society such as exploitation, economic marginalization, and deprivation whereas the second type is cultural or symbolic injustice, rooted in social patterns of representation, interpretation, and communication. To tune out this problem, Fraser introduced a four-celled matrix, where horizontal axis comprised the two general kinds of remedies, affirmation and transformation and the vertical axis comprised the two aspects of justice, redistribution and recognition. On the matrix, locating the four political orientations of a just society, Fraser argued; in the first cell, where redistribution and affirmation intersect, is the project of the liberal welfare state, focused on reallocations of distributive shares among existing groups. It tends to support group differentiation. In the second cell, where redistribution and transformation intersect, is the project of socialism; aiming at deep restructuring of the relations of production. It tends to blur the group differentiation. In the third cell, where recognition and affirmation intersect, is the project of mainstream multiculturalism which focused on reallocations of respect among existing groups. It tends to support group differentiation. In the fourth cell, where recognition and transformation intersect, is the project of deconstruction; aimed at a deep restructuring of the relations of recognition and tends to de-establish group differentiations. If we just put down the idea of Social Justice in terms of Rokeya's Social Reform, then it can be seen that Rokeya‟s central idea of social justice through affirmation matrix and Transformation Matrix with recognition and redistribution likens to the Nancy Fraser‟s idea of Social Justice. Now, using Affirmation Matrix and Transformation Matrix, the argument has been explained below: Affirmation Matrix: Rokeya‟s writings concentrated on reallocation in wealth, patriarchal domination with justice, and women‟s equal inheritance rights and recognition in socio-economic arena. It reopened the idea of justice through affirmation and could change the exploitive history of patriarchal domination. It is all about the redistribution of wealth and social status that affirms the right status of 10 Haque and Rashid women in society. Similarly, in recognition matrix of affirmation, following the idea of Rokeya, recognition for women through status in national women policy and allowing women as a mainstream of development, women‟s freedom, and reallocations of respect for them and acknowledging the mass human beings changing the scenario as per expected level. Transformation Matrix: Rokeya‟s notion of re-structured family relations with radical approach blurs the differentiation between men and women through stabilizing equity in education and economic empowerment. Demanding remedy from misrecognition through changing social and religious norms, Rokeya radical approaches create the platform for transformation to Socialism to establish the rights for women. Similarly in Deconstruction matrix, she with the ideas in „Sultana‟s Dream‟ just deconstructed the dominant nature of patriarchal politics providing the example of restructured relations in policy and constitution in the novel titled Sultana‟s Dream, marking example of women‟s participation in different socio- economic stages. Finally, with the Confined Lady in Haram (Oborodbahsini), she just destabilizes group differentiation by ensuring equal opportunity in social and family life. She further emphasizes capability building without which women become the mere instruments within society and their lives in society is determined by patriarchal domination. Given the fact, comparing Rokeya‟s ideas of social justice with that of Nancy Fraser, the authors explain the reality of discrimination that in turn specifies the way of social injustice.

Table 1: Justice from Nancy Fraser’s Viewpoint

Affirmation Transformation Redistribution The liberal welfare state Socialism surface reallocations of existing deep restructuring of relations of goods to existing groups; production; blurs group supports group differentiation; can differentiation; can help remedy generate misrecognition some forms of misrecognition Recognition Mainstream multiculturalism Deconstruction surface reallocations of respect to deep restructuring of relations of existing identities of existing recognition; destabilizes group groups; supports group differentiation differentiations

Feminist Ideas of Begum Rokeya and Its Holistic Explanation 11

Table 2: Social Justice in Terms of Rokeya’s Social Reform

Affirmation Transformation Redistribution Affirmation in liberal welfare Transformation in Socialism state  Restructuring relations of  Reallocations of wealth with family gender equality  Blurs differentiation through  Patriarchal domination with employment justice  Equity in education and  Women equal inheritance right; empowerment  Recognition in socioeconomic  Remedy from misrecognition sector trough Changing social and religious custom Recognition Mainstream multiculturalism Deconstruction  National Women Policy  Deconstruction of Politics  Allow women as a mainstream  Sultana's Restructure relations of development in policy & constitution  Multiculturalism of women  Participation in socio economic freedom stages Reallocations of respect  Destabilize group (Women Day) differentiation by ensuring  Acknowledging women as a equal opportunity in social and human being family life  Treat men as men and women as women

Explanation of Rokeya’s Idea with the Framework In making conceptual framework, the authors assess that the partial explanation of Rokeya‟s writing sometimes compels many researchers to label Rokeya as radical, liberal or Marxist. Similarly, many define her as a social reformer who struggled only for equity and equal opportunity for women but what Rokeya's central goal actually was is not properly determined. The main goal was women‟s freedom from patriarchal society, as Sarkar, M. and Ray, B. (2013) told but not determined specifically how women can achieve this freedom. The authors further weighted Rokeya as a feminist and also a social reformer from the central idea of Rokeya‟s struggle for social justice through social recognition and redistribution of wealth. Using 'Sultana's Dream', the authors can prove Rokeya radical or focusing the example of 'Ordhangi' (Better Half) where education is emphasized, equity establishment efforts through 'Anjumane Khaatine Islam' and Sakhwat Memorial 12 Haque and Rashid

Conceptual Framework

Rokeya's Attack on Social Injustice

Struggle for Recognition through Voice against Exploitation Collective way  Demand equal right in social  Sakhwat Memorial Scholl of girls construction  Anjumane Khawatine Islam  Voice against social discrimination  Collective women struggle in Torini Vobon  Emphasizes on education

Cultural Injustice Rooted in Define socio-economic Constraint Social Construction: Superstition:  Remedy, (Economic Freedom, Self-Esteem Patriarchal domination, divorce right, social Employment, Integrity, Senses, & religious constraint, notion against Imagination, Thought, Participation) for women employment, ignorance. injustice Symbolic: (Burqa system, low voice, only  Social & religious constraint displace justice house wives, marriage is the only one goal  Displace inheritance right of life)

Transformation Affirmation

Breaking Line of Social Injustice Recognition

Social Justice In terms of Rokeya's Social reform

Redistribution

Affirmation in liberal welfare state Transformation in Socialism

Source: Authors own comparison of Rokeya‟s Idea with Social justice Feminist Ideas of Begum Rokeya and Its Holistic Explanation 13

School, she can be labeled as liberal. Similarly, having the example of Oborodbashini and some Marxist arguments from Better half, she can be termed a Marxist feminist. But Rokeya‟s overall objective was to attack social injustice that demands equal right in social construction, voice against exploitation and social discrimination to ensure human right and justice for women through economic empowerment. In her life, she experienced cultural and social injustice including patriarchal domination, divorce rights, social & religious constraints, notion against women employment, and living in Zanan1. She identified Borqa System, Low Voice, and having the goal of marriage injustice rooted in social life as symbolic injustices. Rokeya not only demanded social justice for women through redistribution of inheritance and recognition of society like men but also attacked social injustice through capability building with education, equity, social recognition etc. As she realized that social and religious constraints displaced rights, redistribution of inheritance was hindrance to economic freedom, self-esteem, education, and employment for justice. Now using a conceptual framework (stated below), the whole concept is explored in details.

Feminist Thinkers’ Understanding of Rokeya’s Works Mukharjee, P. (2012) urged that Begum Rokeya was the campaigner of the women‟s rights and she believed; 'that striving for equality should be a collective process which could be achieved by spreading awareness among fellow inmates inhabiting the prison of patriarchy'. Mukharjee, P. (2012)further addressed Rokeya as one of the Euro-American first-wave of liberal feminists who advocated the necessity of education among women and the systematized confinement within domestic space but the writers remained silent about Obrodbashini, Downfall of Women and Sultana‟s Dream‟s ideas and she labeled Rokeya as a Marxist and also a radical feminist. Similarly, partial explanation has been seen in Hasnat, F. (2012) writing where she also tried to prove Rokeya as a radical feminist and argued that Sultana's Dream precedes the concept of restriction as a master tool and the tool was set in reverse motion as Rokeya directly used radical feminist approach. She urged that a “veiled” Muslim woman unveiled a path of discourse in such a challenging manner that challenged the very foundation of Muslim patriarchal systemization. She further explained that the eco-critical view of the country becomes obvious in Sultana‟s Dream, as 'Sister Sara in 'Sultana‟s Dream' informs that women of this country only 14 Haque and Rashid ate fruit and that their Queen was fond of botany and wanted to 'convert the whole country into one grand garden'. As the dream worked as a reversal of reality or reversal of Porda system of patriarchal society, the total control over nature was a satirical solution to women‟s oppression. So does the holistic explanation is not seen in Alam, M. (2015) writing, as he informed that when all the women were utterly distressed, deprived, and drowned under the dirt of illiteracy, fanaticism, superstitions, and prejudices and they could not think of equal rights and freedom, Rokeya raised her voice to uplift the fortune of women and led them to tasting the flavor of freedom that was opposed by the patriarchal social views. And finally, the writers identified Rokeya as a social reformer and did not discuss her other writings that might prove her to be a radical, liberal, and Marxist feminist. Likewise the previous authors, Rahman, M. M. (2013) partially identified Sultana‟s Dream as a radical feminist piece, where Rokeya talked about separatism and the women-centered politics. However, he further urged that Rokeya‟s intention was not to put men down but to promote women alongside men and to ensure gender balance and equality in all spheres of life. Here, firstly, he tried to prove her a radical feminist and finally, drew a conclusion on herself being a liberal one and presented contradictory arguments in his research. As we know the basic idea of is the idea of androgyny; where the male supremacy of birthright should be forgone and considered that female culture is the ultimate solution to the patriarchy. In 'Sultana‟s Dream', a reinterpretation of traits is seen like French, M. (1986). It proves Rokeya‟s ideas as radical ones which in some extent emphasized women‟s rights over men. Given the fact, Rokeya‟s husband remarked on this story, 'it is indeed a “terrible revenge” on men', how it can be demand gender equality; there is no explanation of it. Thus, Alam, M. (2013) could not prove her as a social reformer but explained her ideas as political and social development supporting gender equality. Besides these, Hasan, M. S. (2014)‟s writing is on the illusion of Rokeya‟s contribution and her struggling life against religious superstition, social confinement, and patriarchal domination but does not define her ideas being either liberal, radical or Marxist and it only directed towards herself being as a social reformer. Similarly from liberal perspective, Ray, B. (2013) ascribed that Rokeya's argument in favour of women‟s subjection to patriarchal society was because of two reasons and these were selfishness of men and apathy of women themselves. Rokeya assessed these exactly and therefore, Rokeya's solutions to the problems were education and Feminist Ideas of Begum Rokeya and Its Holistic Explanation 15 employment with economic independence. Finally, Rokeya established social and family equity in the socio-economic affairs of colonial Bengal. The writers explored further, Rokeya was mostly concerned about unequal gender relations in the Muslim community that hindered self-dependency and working opportunity outside the home. With this argument, the writers urged that Rokeya affirmed; marriage is not the ultimate goal of a women‟s life but companionate marriage can be accepted. The writers further informed that Rokeya had also established collective space with the establishment of 'Anjuman-i-Khawatin-i-Islam' to remove possible discrimination against women while she challenged scripture and religion as it supported the legacy of patriarchal domination. Thus, Ray, B. (2013) proved her as a secular radical feminist and urged that Rokeya's feminist criticism challenged the two pillars of patriarchy, the two important institutions: family and religion. But the reality is that Rokeya was not in favor of removing these institutions as she demanded but she was in favor of equality. Besides this, Rokeya asked for proper recognition of women as individual human beings within its fold. Her rebellion was against the control of men. Today, the worldwide is still grappling with the twin problems and Rokeya‟s solution to this problem was clear. To men, she said, 'give women equality and recognize their contributions'. To women, her call was to 'wake up'. If the woman woke up, if gender equality was established, patriarchy would have come to its deserved end, extinction. But the contradiction arises as the writers proved her as a secularist at first and right after that she urged Rokeya not being in favor of rebellion against religion and family, except the patriarchal notion of domination. But how Rokeya becomes a secular feminist without being a radical social reformer is the fact on which Ray had no clear explanation. Sarkar, M. (2014) as a liberal feminist, has situated Rokeya as a writer and a social reformer who for the first time raised the voice against oppression and urged to remove patriarchal domination and demanded that woman should be economically self-independent. Her explanation also becomes partial like the previous authors‟ writings, as integrated approach to centralize the idea of Rokeya is not seen. Sarker also describes her contribution in facilitating education and explains Rokeya‟s exploration of male domination as an outcome of women subordination, the bond of enslavement, social injunction, and wrong interpretation of religion by patriarchal society. But if the overall historical explanation is kept aside from her writing, nothing new could be found in Sarker's writing.

16 Haque and Rashid

Bengali Writers on Rokeya There are various writings on Rokeya but a little of it can be taken as a scholarly article and most of them are journalistic essays. Given the fact, Chowdhury, G. A. (2006) like liberal feminists, tried to establish her as a social reformer. He urged that Rokeya was not a revolutionary woman; rather she was a social reformer, as she did not want to revolt. Therefore, he affirmed; women‟s revolution in is not radical in a sense that the attempts did not try to destroy the patriarchal societal system and even they did not want freedom of life as a whole but they only demanded empowerment and self-independence. He identified differences between Nawab Faizunnesa and Rokeya and urged that Rokeya came forward as a social reformer and not only emphasized women emancipation but also emphasized mass education for women, removal of social and family blockades, emancipation from enslaved life, self-independence and equal opportunity like men. However, Choudhury, G. A. (2006) failed to specify the role of Sister Sara in 'Sultana's Dream' as a radical feminist and could not define why Rokeya did not want to revolt in spite of having written radical views in this story. If she did not want to revolt, she cautiously wanted justice to be ensured. And how she wanted to ensure justice is a crucial question that was left unanswered, as she attacked every tool of superstition and patriarchy to ensure women‟s equity and justice. Choudhury, G. A. (2006) did not explain this reality in his article and there is no citation as well. Like liberal feminist in 'Feminism and Begum Rokeya', Sufi, H. M. (2014), goes with his partial explanation and he misinterpreted the meaning of feminism. As a result, he always cited the scripture of Humayun Azad's Nari2 and attacked the ideas of feminism, as he assumed that the ideas or principles of feminism stands for abhorrence against men, a revolution against men, and becoming atheist. He quoted 'Shugrihini' (Best Housewife), Better Half (Ordhanghi), Downfall of Women (Strijatir Oboniti) essay of Rokeya's 'Motichur', to prove Rokeya's demand for equal right, women empowerment, protest against social constraint and family blockade. He further added; like Wollstonecraft, M. (1974), Rokeya emphasized women education and she was an Islamist social reformer and cited Hossain, S. R. (1905) argument:

'In all my life, I have tried to do something for women emancipation; I believe that Allah will help me and only Allah is my dependable fact. Allah has examined me with various sorrows but I expect soon he will be kindhearted to me, (p.45). Finally, he argued that Rokeya was not secular in her belief but liberal. Here, Sufi, H. M. (2014) only emphasized the criticisms of Humayun Azad's arguments as he urged Feminist Ideas of Begum Rokeya and Its Holistic Explanation 17 that Humayun Azad affirmed Rokeya as a pure radical feminist in his Nari book and could not specify any feminist viewpoint. Focusing Rokeya‟s viewpoint on family law, Kamal, S. (2010), as a radical feminist, urged that women-lives are determined by family, religious law and norms, though the constitution emphasizes on the insurance of basic human rights. Sultana Kamal further added that Rokeya in Sultana's Dream, firstly protested against these social constraints, attacked family laws and told, 'Yes, it is not safe so long as there are not men on the streets, nor is it so when a wild animal enters a marketplace'. Family structure, based on patriarchal domination makes social blockade for women, both in Muslim society and societies either dominated by the principles of other religions, as every religious law gives the extra advantage to men in divorce and family control. Therefore, citing Rokeya‟s argument, she explained that the Hindu women called Misses Sen in Padmarag novel, was humiliated by robbers and later, was also divorced by her husband. This victim becomes sufferer as only the husband possessed the right to divorce. Finally, Kamal, S. (2010) urged; in every possible way, Padmarag novel has created significant criticism against patriarchal domination in family life, which instigates men‟s careless behavior in different socio-economic aspects. But Rokeya's contribution was not only limited to the family as it emphasized social equity and capabilities tools with which she tried to attack social injustice and ensure social justice through recognition and redistribution. As either in 'Sultan's Dream' or in 'Nurse Nelly', she mainly focused on social construction that hampered women‟s development. Given the fact, Kamal, S. (2010) only shortened her ideas of the family law for specific objectives without citation of the feminist ideas. Khanom, A. (2006) affirmed that Rokeya argued to establish women as human beings, not animals or caged birds and then she introduced causes of downfall. Secondly, the writers compared Wollstonecraft‟s idea of education, learning the lesson to avoid patriarchal dominant knowledge with Rokeya‟s ideas of equality for women. She also explained that Rokeya's argument; social construction makes the discrimination between men and women, is true. Similarly, she affirmed that before the inclusion of gender equality in UN charter, Begum Rokeya cited it in Sultana's Dream in 1905. Finally, citing Rokeya's argument, Khanom, A. (2006) established that without economic freedom, equal right in inheritance as well as empowerment of women was not possible. Thus, in 'Padmarag', 'Siddika' said, 'without economic freedom, women‟s independence is meaningless and impossible (p.234)‟; then no one can ignore this reality anyhow. Here, all her arguments were based on women‟s 18 Haque and Rashid education and empowerment that in turn ensures economic freedom and finally, establishes a less discriminated society. She tried to prove Rokeya as a pioneer instrumental for humanity but directly did not include the ideas of Human Development (HD) or Sen.'s seven types of capabilities. As a result, both of her articles are inefficient journalistic viewpoints, which are in thoughts contradicting to her own argument. Moslem, S. (2003), as a liberal feminist, reassured us; Rokeya‟s idea of women emancipation is totally dependent on human rights, as Rekey knew; education is basically related with women‟s consciousness on self-esteem and social rights. Moslem further added Rokeya‟s purpose of humanity is to emancipate women from all sorts of discrimination and ensure social development through the equal development of men and women but she did not discuss Rokeya‟s writings from the holistic perspective. Haque, M. (2014) as a liberal feminist, introduced Padmarag as the first feminist novel and urged that the idea of feminism came into being in . In this novel, the main purpose of Begum Rokeya was to establish the equal rights in social construction. With the starting 'Padmarag: Bangalir Prothom Naribadi Uponnash', the readers came to know Siddiqa and the self-esteem of women won. This is the very nature of this novel, wherein any contemporary literature, readers do not see women revolution achieving its success. Haque further urged that in that time, women‟s revolution was not less noted in Tagore‟s novel, Communication (Jogajog) but in Tagore‟s novel, lead women characters got defeated by the social confinement. Here, the writers explored that poor, widow, abandoned women, Siddiqa the illiterate girl, also an ill women, got shelter in 'Torini Vhobon'. After the death of her husband, 'Torini Devi' decided to sacrifice her for the sake of women. Against the will of relatives, she established 'Torini Vobon' and with the development of 'Torini Residence' house, Rokeya penetrated the idea of the establishment of a girls‟ school and Women-Oppression Removal Society in Indian patriarchal society. What 'Torini Devi' establishes for women‟s social welfare, right and development, that is the goal of Rokeya and there is no difference between Rokeya‟s and 'Torini Devi's goals, as both are against discrimination and demands equal rights. Besides these, Hossain, M. (2008), as a liberal feminist informed that Rokeya witnessed and realized different type of discriminations in society on women, especially women‟s deprivation of education. Therefore, putting emphasis on having education, being an ideal citizen and playing a positive role in social and national Feminist Ideas of Begum Rokeya and Its Holistic Explanation 19 reformation, Rokeya expected differences between men and women to be lessen. The writers further added; Rokeya noted the meaning of name of a husband as a tag of ownership on women and cited her most popular argument, 'Men becoming a land owner, householder, and having other ownership, they (men) become the owner of us (women)'. Hossain, M. (2008),also cited some mental problems of women that hinder women‟s path of development such as cultural subordination of women, lacking in mental and socialization process, and finally, defined her as a liberal kind of feminist but did not consider her whole perspective of feminism. Given the fact, from the above discussion, we can draw a conclusion that partial explanation of Rokeya, both in Bengali and English writing, are seen at an expected level but most of the journals failed to explain Rokeya‟s idea from a holistic viewpoint. They did not focus on integrated argument centralizing the idea of social justice for which Rokeya had dedicated her whole life.

Gap Forced to Move Forward Rokeya chose different perspectives at different times. Rokeya defined jewelry as a slavery badge, social restriction to have education and economically empowerment that ensured mental enslavement. She realized that patriarchal society did not allow the development of women's capabilities through education. Only education with economic empowerment can make women free from social bindings. If group differentiation between man and woman is removed with a social way of recognition and redistribution, then social justice or equity can easily be ensured. And for demanding recognition of society and redistribution of a just portion of inheritance, woman must be educated. It implies that Rokeya‟s whole idea reflected on building Capabilities through education that in turn reduces social injustice by opening up the way of economic empowerment. Thus, with the economic empowerment, Rokeya affirmed; a woman can have freedom both in a family and also in a society. Till now, nobody explained her ideas from the central perspective of women exploitation and its solution to justice for which we can say Rokeya‟s idea is still relevant as the patriarchal domination exists. Exploring the discrimination against women from the perspective of a social reformer, a liberal, a radical or a Marxist feminist is not the basic contribution of Rokeya. Therefore, the authors feel compelled to establish her ideas on social justice and with these loopholes of the previous, the authors move forward to centralize her ideas on the basis of Social Justice. As the creation of something implies the destruction of an old one, the authors have to criticize the previous partial explanations of Rokeya's works. 20 Haque and Rashid

Conclusion Proving Rokeya as a liberal, radical or Marxist should not be the matter of concern for researchers; rather what realizations led Rokeya to write against discrimination should be prioritized. Social and economic forms of discrimination create unfriendly environment for caregiver and service provider for women. With economic empowerment and consciousness, gained through education and stepping out of four walls, women can face the reality of life like men. Rokeya, as an instrumental feminist thinker, established women as a human being and placed these humans on the stage as the winner of all burdens, criticizing the patriarchal domination only for justice. If the spotlight is placed on justice and equality in Rokeya writings for economic empowerment, the major discourse about her being a liberal, radical or Marxist thinker will come to an end. And, the contemporary relevance of her idea becomes centralized on social justice for women through economic empowerment and social recognition that in turn establishes a less discriminatory society for women.

Notes 1 Zanana means Parda System or living women behind the four walls of house 2 A Book of Humayun Azad, translated from Simone de Beauvoir's Book, Second Sex

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