Glimmers of Hope - Interview with Melanie Walker, Intern at Guild For Service Organization in India

While the current Indian social and news media is focused on the recent controversies surrounding the lack of outrage in India after the Assamese Gang Rape case , my fellow friend academic and colleague is making a great contribution to a wonderful organization that supports the rehabilitation of widows barring race, religion, cultures, and class to give them a chance to start their new lives in a country where the status of women is constantly called into question especially in the eyes of the international (and local media). Feminists and non-feminists are focused on attacking each other rather than trying to spend time and work together to come up with a solution to eradicate or at the very least alleviate the issue of women's inferior status in India altogether.While I have focused on troubling issues that Indian (middle class) women are facing currently, there are also marked efforts being made by individuals whose efforts go unrecognized but play such an important role in contributing to some sort of a "progress" towards the status of women in India. As an Indian woman, I am critical of the discourse both academic and non-academic that constantly emphasizes that countries like India and Middle East are misogynistic and continue to enact systems of oppression that suppress women and take away their rights as human beings. Among the women who suffer from these conniving and "evil" misogynistic hands are widows. Widow remarriage is a topic that has always sparked a controversy in the Indian discourse both in popular culture but also in the social media that seeks to define boundaries for women who are living without men in their lives. The Tanishq Ad that sought to break taboos was for me one of the first glimmer of hope that people were now seeking answers for this problematic tradition that essentially annihilated the subjectivity of women after the (untimely) death of her husband. Like single women who are mostly unrecognized in the society, a widow in India especially lives a life that is a constant reminder of the loss of her husband - she is always clad in white (that is emblematic of her [sexual] purity) and no longer wears jewelry and other symbols that show her living a vibrant life! Films like Baabul (2006) and Water (2005) have played a profound role in honing on this issue and beg us to take a look at them once again and ask the question - does not a widow have the right to remarry? I would argue - yes - she does! I applaud the efforts made by Dr. Mohini Giri and her intern, Melanie Walker who is not only a close friend but who is contributing immensely to the service.

Melanie and I at the South Asian Studies Conference in Claremont, CA

We had met by chance at the South Asian conference in Claremont University, California in 2011. I was working in EMC at that time but was passionate about my career in academia so I had applied for a conference and with my own funding had gone to the conference and it rightfully changed my   life (but that's another story for another day!) In any case, the conference became a forum where I met many wonderful scholars who have stayed in touch and have been supportive. Among them, I met Melanie Walker. 

So now that I know that she is achieving great heights, she had to be featured in my blog because both her work and contribution are evidence that while there may be concerns regarding a woman's subjectivity in India, there are also groundwork efforts being done by individuals and organizations that are providing resources for women to have a better life. There is a glimmer of hope and The Guild For Service and Melanie Walker's work and contribution is a great and profound contribution to this thought! 

So without further delay, I introduce Melanie Walker to you: 

Nidhi Shrivastava:   How and why did you select The Guild for Service as an organization that you wanted to work for?

Melanie Walker: To be honest, it selected me. I’m here under extreme happenstance! Well, I was connected to the Guild for Service and Dr. Giri under happenstance; the rest was up to me. It is one of those, “you never know who you are going to meet” stories. I met Dr. Giri’s Niece, Nalini while working an open house for my Uncle while in California in September. My Aunt was ill that day, so he chose to stay home and asked me to fill in and support his business partner, Susan, where needed. Nalini works in the same real estate office as my Uncle and Susan, and stopped by the open house. Susan introduced us and shared some of my history, having done research in India, and it only took a minute to not only realize that we had a lot in common, but Nalini asked me if I knew of her aunt, Dr. Mohini Giri, and of course I did. Not only had I heard of Dr. Giri, but, had done a presentation in grad school on a movie she is represented in (Forgotten Women) and discussed her work to my students in Development Studies lectures at the University of Calgary.

Nalini said that I should reach out to Dr. Giri mentioning our shared connection - I told her I would love to, being that I was post-grad and searching for an internship opportunity in an organization that supported my values in community development - a rights based approach. Dr. Giri and Guild for Service focus on the plight and rights of widows in India through advocacy, activism, and participatory outreach. I knew that it would be important to follow through, even if just to be a supporter. However, after some emails, phone calls (with Dr. Giri herself! - this was very exciting at the time!), and further endorsement from Nalini, Dr. Giri looked into my background and being satisfied, offered me an internship and told me to come to India. I applied for my Visa the next day.

NS:What was your inspiration to work in the organization? I know earlier you had done a lot of work in the development work that included helping those who were most affected by the dam politics (If I remember correctly 2 years ago)

MW: You are correct. My previous research and advocacy work was within the umbrella of community development, focusing on displaced indigenous populations due to dam building in India. Though the concentration of my work is on rural India, indigenous populations, dams, and specifically development induced displacement (DID), the premise of mine, and Dr. Giri’s work is participatory community development, capacity building, and rights based. Our goal is to advocate for those without a voice; include marginalized populations in the fight to be heard, increasing their human rights awareness and education; therefore, allowing people to be the agents of change - changing policy and societal mindsets.

My inspiration came from knowing that I valued and supported the work I would be doing. I would be a part of something that was already creating change, and had been for years. Of course, part of my inspiration was being given the chance to intern under a legend. Dr. Mohini Giri is one of the leading social activists and human rights advocates in India, if not the world, especially when it comes to the topic of widows. Her connections lead to UN Women, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and sits on the board of numerous organizations, such as The Hunger Project in New York. With her background, experience, and reputation, how could one not be inspired to work with her? It was an opportunity I had to take and was privileged to receive. Maybe I’ll have to write a book? - Behind the Scenes of a Legend - haha!

NS: Knowing how unsafe arguably Delhi is right now for women of all ages, races, and skin color, how are your adjusting yourself to the environment? (this is optional/ mostly I am curious) 

MW: Haha - you should ask this first question to my family - you would get an intense response! Yes, over the past while if you watch the news and/or any medial outlets, including social media, you might think that once you arrive in Delhi you will be raped, and later murdered. However, I believe that anything can happen to anyone, anywhere, and at any time. This is my fourth time to India, which may allow me to connect to the real Delhi on a better level, outside of what’s shown on TV. I first came to Delhi in 2008 to attend the University of Delhi, returned in 2010 for a research study group, and again in 2011 to conduct research for my MA Thesis. I have been in Delhi during other significant events, such as terrorist attacks and/or bombings, and thus have first hand experience of  media portrayal versus what’s actually happening on the ground. In my experience media uses a close-up vision of an occurrence. However, the occurrence will be in one small section/area of a city, so I won’t go there - or I will use extra caution and common sense. For example, now more than ever I do not go out after dark in Delhi, unless I am with someone(s) I trust and know well. I also stay away from areas that are known for political rally’s etc. Although, the other day I attended a Violence Against Women protest and ran smack into a huge (mainly male) intensely political rally - these are not the best situations for visible foreigners, so I got out of there quickly - this is part of the work and job of an advocate and activist and are bound to happen. I’m not suggesting that violence such as rape and murder in Delhi are impervious to me, not at all, just that the media portrayal has painted Delhi as a “rape city” and yet is so much more. It’s got a bad rap and I could get hurt/harmed just as easily elsewhere if I’m not smart, safe and aware - this is the world we unfortunately live in, and that’s what Dr Giri and others are trying to change!

NS: How did you meet Dr. Giri? 

MW: The first time I “met” Dr. Giri was when her niece (re: previous story) Nalini had me contact Dr. Giri on the phone while she was visiting her daughter in Michigan. I was nervous. I mean who just calls up a legend?! I had a good breakfast and asked everyone in the house to leave - haha! She of course was completely laid back and lovely - she is a very busy woman, so was to the point and had questions about my work and qualifications, but was so accommodating and welcoming in her offer of internship that I hung up the phone elated and maybe a little stunned! I met her in person upon arriving at the Working Women’s Hostel where I am staying, which is also run by Guild for Service and the location of the main office where I work - my commute is very long - two flights of stairs. From the moment I met her she was just as lovely as on the phone, we had tea and got to know each other. Since, I’ve been here two weeks now, she has taken me under her wing and invited me to follow her along in her work, in which I am learning so very much, getting a glimpse behind the scenes.

NS: What was the experience like to witness the widow remarriages? Do you remember any anecdotes or stories the women told?

MW:  The Group Marriage totaled 15 couples, of which five were widow re-marriages. It was incredible to witness; this was due to the details covered by Guild for Service and Ma Dham (Vrindavan). Staff, volunteers, and Ma’s (widows) living at Ma Dham, decorated the grounds beautifully. The Ma’s especially were so excited for the event because it was the first Group Marriage at Ma Dham, previously they were held in Delhi. They prepared marigolds and other auspicious elements while singing, dancing and chattering excitedly, working together in circles. Brides received full dress and adornment, which added to the experience and excitement that this was a real wedding. I had time to talk to some of the brides and one in particular was so excited to get married that she took me over and proudly introduced me to her bridegroom; they were an adorable couple. Her sister, mother and father were also there and had the same expression of any parents on their daughters wedding day; this was especially heartwarming to see in India because a wedding can be a mournful time for a bride as she leaves her family and embarks to live with her husbands family, seeing her own family less. Norms are changing, if slowly, due to the advocacy work Dr. Giri and others do, creating awareness of women’s human rights, and the importance of gender equality.

NS: What are the future events that will be conducted with Guild for Change? What is it that you like most of the organization?

MW: We are currently working on a three-part South Asian conference series on the Empowerment of Widows, which would include attendees/speakers from all of the SAARC countries and bring together SANWED members. The first phase would be a conference in Delhi where discussion/workshops would lead to recommendations required for a change towards the empowerment of widows. The second phase would be to take those recommendations/document to the 58^th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (March 10-21, NY) as hosted by the UN-NGO branch. The third phase would be to begin implementation at the grassroots level of such recommendations, starting June 23 - the International Day of Widows. We are currently at the funding stage, have confirmed one sponsor, and are working to find additional funders for the project.

What do I like most...I think it’s the motivation I gain by working in the field. Working on such causes from Canada is removed and it’s easy to go home at the end of the day and go about your life, and although work-life balance is important, working on the ground makes it real. Very. Real. Without being removed from the issue time becomes rapid - things must change now and you must work hard to do that. Sometimes the results are instant, which makes you work harder because you want to see increased change. Increased change = increased motivation. Community development, advocacy, and activism can be exhausting and de-motivating on the best of days. Though what I like most is also the most challenging part of my internship, it’s also the lesson everyone in the field must experience. I am lucky enough to have this experience with an organization and group of individuals that are hard working and truly believe in what they seek out to do each day.

So...there you have it! I will be in India next month and will document and hope to do a follow-up blog with Dr. Mohini Giri and my dear friend, Melanie Walker - so proud of you! 

Image sources: courtesy of Melanie Walker and Facebook 

© Nidhi Shrivastava 2014 This content is subject to copyrights. Please ask for my permission before using this content for any purpose. 

Domestic Violence In India : Critical Analysis of A Forgotten Film - Ashok Gaikwad's Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (1997)

Rani Mukherjee who has been known for as one of the penultimate Indian actresses of Bollywood started her career in very low-budget films that spoke of glaring women's issues in the 90s. Her debut film entitled "Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat" or "Prince's Wedding Procession Will Arrive" is reportedly said to be a "commercial failure" in India's million dollar film industry. Recent discourses both in various social media outlets, newspapers, and even university classrooms have been hinting towards the increased sexual violence in India - one of the themes that both hinges upon on me emotionally and intellectually as I try to work through both my coursework term papers and attempt to unpack the current discourses that speak to the troubling violence of women in India.

I am no "feminist" and do not identify my politics with the term after having studied the historical discourses that have shaped the Western discourses since the suffragette movement began during the industrial revolution period in England. I hold a MA degree in Women's Studies from Western and a graduate certificate in Women's Studies from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Suffice to say, I have had time to think and shape my politics as a 1.5 generation woman of color who identifies herself both as an Indian and an American but strongly as a post-colonial scholar who is concerned with the status of women (and other marginalized others) in India.

I do believe in gender (and "other" studies) that speak to the politics and subjectivity of the subaltern (Read Gayatri Spivak's Can the Subaltern Speak?) - the marginalized - be it a man, woman, or any other person who belongs to a part of the society who is oppressed by socio-political-economic systems that have been in place for the less-privileged. However, I do consider my self a post-colonial scholar who is deeply concerned about the discourse that is centered upon the (sexual) violence of women in India as one of the major concerns that have shaped my intellectual and personal passionate study of the topic.

While there are other issues I hope to discuss in my blog in the future including acid attacks, dowry, the fairness debate, and other things that shape a middle class Indian woman's subjectivity in India. I will begin with this forgotten film, which I hope to resurrect from the "dead" and encourage people to watch it again (forgetting the low-budget production but focusing on how astutely and arguably "accurately" the director has brought about many important issues that continue to be hush-hush in India)! The film link that I have posted is with English subtitles but divided into parts. A full version is available but without any subtitles.

Raja ki Aayegi Baraat stars Rani Mukherjee, Shadab Khan, British-Indian actor Saeed Jaffery, and Mohnish Bahl - all of these actors (sans Shadab Khan) have made an international name for themselves but I give them props for being associated with a film that centered so heavily on domestic (and sexual violence) of women in India at a time when these realities were not even discussed or brought to light (which explains its supposed commercial failure). Today, I view their efforts as a gem and hope to use it in my pedagogical teachings in the future.

This film has three instances that I find are especially relevant when we discuss today's subjectivity of an Indian woman. Rani Mukherjee's character, Mala, is outspoken and strong. She angers Raja (Shadab Khan) when she arrives at his friend's wedding accusing his friend of abandoning his pregnant ex-girlfriend. Insulting and breaking the ceremony, Mala, a school teacher is then pursued by Raja who rapes her and leaves her naked and vulnerable in the classroom she teaches in. Humiliated but still resilient, Mala returns home to her father and a court case ensues. The court eventually sentences that Raja and Mala should be married in order to maintain the "honor" and "reputation" of both families. While the marriage takes place in a hush-hush manner, neither Raja nor Mala are happy with the arrangement. While Mala gradually starts to accept her role as Raja's wife, Raja and his family continue to despise her because of the fact that she belongs to a lower class and would not have been their daughter-in-law had Raja not raped her. Throughout the story, the family members attempt many schemes in order to literally remove Mala from their lives - anywhere from using physical violence (a scene where Raja tries to hit her with his belt) to a poisonous snake her uncle-in-law leaves in her honeymoon lodge when she is by herself to her sister-in-law leaving the gas on so that she can catch fire and lastly, her father-in-law hits her violently with a vase at the climax of the film. In all these instances, Mala comes out unscathed. The snake ends up poisoning Raja instead and she as a "heroic" figure sucks the blood out of him and like a true lover and wife saves his life and the film ends on a "sweet" note when the older brother (who supports Mala finally lashes out at this villainous wife who is no longer evil after her husband's rejection of her ideas) and when the lawyers and cop intervene, Mala lies to them that she had fallen from the staircase saving the "reputations" and "honors" of both her natal and marital home. The film wraps up nicely as both of them are shown getting married with celebrations and pomp.

Yes, the film is embedded with problematic issues and instances and perhaps the most glaring to an unfamiliar eye of India's cultural complexities and nuances will be a) a woman marrying her rapist b) silencing and forgetting all the moments of brutal violence against her - she is only accepted within her society if she remains silent and forgives and forgets all the attempts her in-laws and husband attempted to get rid of her. However, my argument as someone who is familiar with these complexities will suggest that the film was not a commercial success and is now among the forgotten films still alive in Youtube's search engines because it drives home the important points of silence and honour that continues to be so relevant to the society. There is always an uneasy silence that surrounds domestic violence in India (among other countries). The decision that the court did that encouraged the rapists to marry the victim is something that by no means that I endorse but it calls into question the ethics behind why the law would ask for such a decision and that is where it gets sticky. This is a practice that has been done for centuries but truly it makes you question WHY that is the case!

 You also have to give credit to Mala for everything that she does - she attempts to find a happy medium between her vocal and strong character and her choice to still comply with traditional customs that is expected of her. Her husband eventually too gains respect, stands for her, and is even willing to take revenge for her against her perpetrators. The filmmaker's attempt to make a controversial film in the late 90s when Yash Chopra musicals were enjoying commercial success is something to think about. These are issues that no one wants to discuss or hear about. Furthermore, this film is definitely produced with a low budget even for its time. Lastly, I really like this film because it suggests that there are many women like Mala who exists who I would argue choose silence (from the law and the outer society) to enjoy a peaceful life with their families. she could have easily complained to the law and gotten her in-laws and husband jailed for their continuous brutal violence upon her but why did she choose not to speak to the law? Why was this the director's choice? Would the film have given the same message if the ending had not been the way that it was? I would suggest that because the film's ending was an eerily "sweet" one, it allows us as viewers and consumers of the film to take up the issues that are unresolved within the framework the film. Although the film speaks of issues we want to close our eyes to, I think the film makes a remarkable impact on the broader repertoire of Indian films that represent domestic violence and beg us to take a look at them again.

Kudos to the filmmakers who attempt to make movies that compel us to rethink glaring issues that impact the status of women in India.

Source Image:  upload.wikmedia.org, static.indianexpress.com, static.ibnlive.com, i.smash.saavncdn.com 
Video Source: Youtube 

© Nidhi Shrivastava 2014 This content is subject to copyrights. Please ask for my permission before using this content for any purpose. 

It's Time For A Change - A Critical Response to Anurag Kashyap's That Day After Everyday

N.B: This blog entry is an analytic response of the documentary. Please do watch this documentary as it will only enhance your experience understanding my point of view and analysis of the film. IIts only twenty minutes but they will be a really powerful 20 minutes you will spend! The link is above and spread the word! :-) 

Written by Nitin Bharadwaj and directed by independent filmmaker, Anurag Kashyap who has been known in the past to make radical films such as Dev D (2009), Gulal (2009), That Girl In The Yellow Boots (2011), and Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) have produced a short Youtube film entitled That Day Every Day (2013) that takes the subject of eve-teasing (a topic I have discussed before my previous blogs) and molestation cases. The ending of the film is powerful and riveting speaking to the importance of self-defense. It is also interesting to note that both Anurag Kashyap and his wife, Kalki Koelchin have been proactive in exploring the problematic issues of India's insidious rape culture and its numerous implications.

Image via ytimg.com

As a post-colonial scholar and a woman whose roots are embedded in India, this film immediately caught my attention. While the film was kept short and sweet and only ran for mere twenty minutes, it packed with it a sharp punch especially towards the end of the movie. I was deeply saddened that the film did not have subtitles, which limited the audience of the film especially in the much broader international context such that this film could be made available to audiences all over the world. Like many of Kashyap's films, the topic is controversial and provocative. The film stars Sandhya Mridul, Radhika Apte, and Akash Sinha, and other names.

Image via Wikimedia.com

       The film starts with Radhika Apte making food and tea in the kitchen as a voice hovers over her speaking to her about the current troubling events happening in India as well as ridiculous studies that suggest that the reason for the increase in rape is due to the increased consumption of the Indo-Chinese dish known as "chow mein" doing nothing but revealing the anxieties that are instilled within the Indian society as they target those who are "others" within the larger Indian context. In other words, the chowmein consumption is not only associated with the othering of the Nepali and other "Asian-looking" immigrants but is also associating them with promoting a dish that acts almost like a viagra for men increasing their sexual desire and increases rape cases. The man then advises her to quietly walk without dealing with the men who eve-tease her and fears that if she rebels, then she will be found dismembered on the corner of the street. He says, "auratein jitni chup rahe utna accha hai" or "its better if women are silenced, its better to prevent provoking sexual harassment or molestation. Within the first minute and thirty seconds of the film, the story has already highlighted many problems that are associated with India's rape culture. I want to repeat again that rape culture in general is universal and insidious and varies from one experience to another. We do not do justice if we compare rape cultures between countries because we, in my opinion, do not have and should not appropriate the trauma as it is unique to each victim's experience regardless of whether the violation was brutal or a case of eve-teasing or sexual harassment. He also reprimands her for not going to work and developing a professional career - he argues that it only adds to her vulnerability towards sexual violence. Like this first instance, the film continues on to show two other women who are also being reprimanded and advised by their loved ones to stop going "out" as much to prevent and protect themselves from sexual violence and rape. 

                                                               Image via Indiaopines.com
                The film is very visceral in that it shows men harassing women and eve-teasing them in a quite scary manner especially when the women are trying to get to work. Even at work, the women face sexual jeering and eve-teasing from peons who drool over her using their smart phone's camera features to stalk her and use excuses to get physically close to her. In the middle of the film, the women are seated in the car and are encouraged to stand up for themselves. The film's ending is quite radical in that these women physically fight against the men and try to save themselves rather than being "rescued", which speaks profoundly to the contradictory space that women occupy in India at this time. While I am still struggling with Marxism, I do think that a woman's economic and social status as a professional woman and are desiring now to become part of the "New" middle class culture (Read Leela Fernandes's India's New Middle Class) plays a role in making her a vulnerable subject to these atrocities but before I can completely make this claim, I want to understand the politics of marxism and classism further to shape my point-of-view. The issue is far more complicated and sensitive and this observation is just one aspect of the problem. 
            With the growing capital economy, malls in Delhi and Bombay are laced with bars, clubs, and movie theaters and women who participate in the professional world earn enough living to support themselves and their families. The lifestyle, culture, and expectations are definitely in the midst of evolving as women become more and more independent in their respective fields. It is not to say that such progress is "linear" but a complicated zig-zag line that sometimes takes two steps forward and one step backward (and the cycle continues - with different variations). Earlier, yes, there was eve-teasing, sexual harassment, and rape that took place within India but now due to the increased use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, information is more readily available and people are able to connect via cyberspace and distance is no longer an issue. Anyone can be a journalist, a writer, a blogger, and a contributor with mediums available for people to express their emotions, thoughts, and concerns. 
              The women featured in the film all belong the middle class. They work, use a shuttle bus to return to their homes, stay together and communicate with each other as a band, and fight the men who are eve teasing them together as a unit. The ending is pretty comical actually when the man asks her if she wants a cup of tea coming to a full circle. 
             Now, for the most interesting and fun part - the fight scene. Did it not remind those who have seen the movie of the typical 90s Hindi/ "Bollywood" film fight scenes. The men harassing the women and the women taking the opportunity to band together and literally fighting back showing their empowered "superwoman" selves (Thanks Ramanpreet for this observation). As women who have been in India and walked through the streets, we questioned if this ending was realistic or not. Here is my answer and its a double-edged sword. I think what the film portrays is totally possible if women take self-defense classes and are able to stand up for themselves and literally fight the men (and are prepared and armed with pepper sprays etc) but if we really think about it, the film makes a very salient point - how will they stand up for themselves if their families encourage or advise them to be couped up within the four walls of their home - will it really solve the problem or is it just a solution that takes us back to the times of purdah and zenana? The film strives to encourage women from all classes to stand up for themselves, which I think and believe is a strong and empowering message! 
               Kudos to Anurag Kashyap and Nitin Bhardwaj for such an excellent rendition of a film based on glaring issues that need to have a dialogue in this world!! 

© Nidhi Shrivastava 2014 This content is subject to copyrights. Please ask for my permission before using this content for any purpose.