CONTENTS

Acknowledgements \vtij Introduction Q

PARTI Prescriptions, Injunctions, Laws Dharmasutras|35| Kautilya Arthasastra [36 Dharmasastras [37] Vriddha Harita [38J Parasara Samhita [38 The Law According to the Mitakshara School The Law According to the Dayabhaga School [39] Stridharmapaddhati of Tryambaka Yajavan|40] Sastric Vrata and Widowl

The Widow in Classical Texts Stree Parva from the Mahabharata [45j Sangam Poetry Rajatarangini [51

The Widow in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Documents Lancelot Wilkinson from An Introduction to "An Essay on the Second Marriage of Widows by a Learned Brahmin of Nagpur"[54] Iswarchandra Vidhyasagar from "The Marriage of Hindu Widows" [55] Hindu Widow's Remarriage Act 18561601 Newspaper Reports from The Times, London, 1856-1892 [62 [ Narmadashankar Dave from "On Widow Remarriage" and Dharmavichar, 1876 [64J A Widow's Correspondence from Karsondas Mulji: A Biographical Study, 1935[67] Dayaram Gidumal from CONTENTS

The Status of Women in India or Handbook for Hindu Social Reformers, 1889 [69] Tarabai Shinde from "Shi Punish Tulana", 1882 [z[I Pandita Ramabai Saraswati from The High- Caste Hindu Widow, 1888 [76j Rakhmabai from a letter on "Enforced Widowhood", 1885 [81] Anonymous from "The Plight of Hindu Widows as Described by a Widow Herself", 1889 [88 Experiences of Widows from Position of Widows: Experiences of Widows and Other Girls, 1910 (unpublished) [92] Sushila Devi from "The Ideal of Hindu Womanhood With Practical Suggestions for its Realisation", 1907] 1051 Anindita Devi "The Condition of Widows" [1O7| Jyotiba Phule from "Opinion of Jotteerao Govindrao Phulay on Note No: 11 by Mr. B.M. Malabari on Enforced Widowhood"!Ill [ Dayanand Saraswati from Satyarth Prakash, 18821113| A.S. Altekar from The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, 1938 |H7j M.K. Gandhi from Gandhi on Women: A Collection of Gandhi's Writings and Speeches on Women |l20| Alhaj Subako "Why Was Woman Enslaved? Muslim Women are Slaves Too! The Plight of Muslim Widows", from Puratchi, 193411251 National Commission for Women Report on Widows of Vrindavan |127 Cases: "Chandra's Death"; Skinner vs. Skinner; "Caste Councils Among the Namputiri Brahmins of Kerala"; Sebastian M. Hongray vs. Union of India [130

PART 2 Personal Narratives Nistarini Devi from Sekeley Katha, 1913 [139] Anandibai Karve from The New Brahmans: Five Maharashtrian Families, 1963 146 D.K. Karve from "My Life Story" [152] Parvati Athavale from CONTENTS XI

Hindu Widow: An Autobiography, 1928 jl58i Haimabati Sen from From Child Widozu to Lady Doctor: Memoirs of Dr. Haimabati Sen 163 Pundalik from The New Brahmans: Five Maharashtrian Families, 1963 |169| A Story from Pinjare Bashiya, 199611721 Jyotirmoyee Devi from "Beginnings" 173 Nabaneeta Dev Sen from "The Wind Beneath my Wings" 179 Widows of Vrindavan 188 Gomathi 194 Devaki 197 Reshma|200| Chhoti Devi\206j Durga Rani Katyal from Borders And Boundaries: Women in India's Partition 12091 Durga Bhabhi 213 Jaggi Devi 1220 j Begum Anis Kidwai from Auadi Ki Cliaon Mein J2261 Dudala Salamma from 'We Were Making History,..' Womeii in the Telangana People's Struggle [231 Widows of the 1984 Riots [236] Mary Kaul [244

PART 3

Fiction Rabindranath Tagore "Saved" translated by Tanika Sarkar|25ll Munshi Premchand Prema, an extract translated by Deepika Tandon 12571 Pudumaipithan "Vaadamalli" (A Flower Without Fragrance) translated by Rajan Kurail264l Lalithambika Antharjanam "Kuttasammatam" (The Admission of Guilt), translated by Vasanti Sankaranarayanan J266J Mahadevi Varma Sketches from my Past: Encounters with India's Oppressed, Chapter two, translated by Neera Sohoni Kukreja J2771 Jainendra Kumar Parakh translated by Deepika Tandon '2861 Katherine Mayo Slaves of the Gods, an extract J292| Matampu Kunjukuttan Brushtu (Outcaste) an extract translated by Vasanti Sankaranarayanan |299[ M.K. Indira Phaniyamma, an extract translated by Tejaswmi Niranjana 1304J Bibhutibhusan xu CONTENTS

Bandopadhyay "Drabomoyeer Kashibash" (Drabomoyee Goes to Kashi), translated by Sarmishta Dutta Gupta |313| Indira Goswami line Khowa Howdah (A Saga of South Kamrup), an extract translated by the author {3341 Rajinder Singh Bedi Ek Chadar Maili Si (I Take This Woman), an extract translated by Khushwant Singh |345| S.L. Bhyrappa Vamshavriksha (The Uprooted), an extract translated by the author and Susuma Chandrasekhar (3561 Razia Sajjad Zaheer "Langri Mumani* (My Lame Aunt) translated by Syeda S. Hameed and Sughra Mehdi [3661 Manjul Bhagat "Bebeji" translated by the author 373 Urmila Pawar "A Childhood Tale" [3781 Binapani Mohanty "Asm Anala" (Tears of Fire) translated by Jayanta Mahapatra 13901 Mrinal Pande "Hum Safar" (Fellow Travellers) translated by the author 14021 Thoppil Mohammad Meeran Oru Kadalora Kiramathin Kathai (Story of a Seaside Village), an extract translated by M. Vijayalakshmi |41l[ Sunil Gangopadhyay Shei Samay (Those Days), an extract translated by Aruna ChakravartJ421 Mahasweta Devi Rudali an extract translated by Anjum Katyal 459 Permission Acknowledgements [484