Over the last three weeks, I read two novels:
Aavarna The veil
By S.LBhyrappa (Originally in Kannada; Translated into English by Sandeep
Balakrishna) and Sita's Curse: The Language of Desire by Sreemoyee Piu Kundu.
Aavarna published
in 2007 deals with religious fundamentalism in the background of an inter -religious
marriage. Lakshmy, a Hindu girl marries Amir, a Muslim boy. She feels the marriage
personifies her progressive thoughts. On Amir’s request she converts into a Muslimand takes the name of Razia. This begins the breakdown of the progressive
Lakshmy. The death of her father, twenty years later brings her into conflict
with herself and the rest of the book deals with her search for her real
identity.Is she a Hindu, a Muslim or just a human being? Her search confronts the pages of history that have been covered up so long in order
to create the illusion of secularism in this country. She pens a novel that is
banned.
Sita's Curse: The
Language of desire, published in 2014 deals with the desires of a girl Meera. Meera,
who is taught how to behave like a woman, finds her surroundings frustrating
and often takes respite from the monotony of her daily routine in sexual
escapades. These range from incestuous, with her brother Kartik, to lesbian,
with her friend Binal to heteresexual, with the stranger by the river, her husband,
Guruji, the dance teacher and Yosuf. Meera faces her inner self questioning her
existence, very ironically when Mumbai is submerged in the ravaging floods of
26th July. Mumbai never faced a more severe torment. Meera never faced a more
severe breakdown.
Both the books
have women protagonists. Both women are strong and confident. One seeks knowledge
to liberate herself. One seeks sex. Razia seems to have a nonexistent sex life,
especially after her husband pronounces talaq and remarries. Meera seems to
have a nonexistent knowledge life. The only references are her going to school
and years later taking up English classes
While Razia goes
back into history in her quest for her true identity, Meera veers
on casual internet sex and enters into a real sexual relation with a virtual
partner.
Both seek love and
affirmation from their partners. But do not get it. Razia is damned if she is
progressive, dammed if is not. She is thrown out her community for not
following her beliefs by her own father while Amir disowns her when she begins
to ask him difficult questions about his religion.
Meera is damned if
she speaks her mind, damned if she follows her heart. She is charged of not
being able to conceive a child when she knows this is due to husband’s
shortcomings. She is charged of being a whore when she has male admirers.
What set me
thinking was the presentation of both the women. Why these two aspects of a
woman life- education and sex never present themselves simultaneously? Why is
one oblivious of the other? If Razia was more sexually active would she be less
progressive in her thoughts? If Meera was more educated would she be less
liberated than she is now?
Razia is equally
hungry for sex as is Meera.
Meera too has a curious mind that gets fulfilled by learning
computers, internet and chat sex.
Razia leaves her family in search of herself.
Meera walks out of her home in search of herself.
Is the liberated
woman only about being educated?
Is the liberated woman only
about being aware of her sexual desires?
Is the liberated
woman only about living for themselves?
Is the liberated
woman only the one who leaves everyone to search for herself?
Is the liberated
woman, the one next door, who educates herself, who works in the economic
market, who updates herself, who looks after her family, who is active sexually
without being apologetic about it, who lives each day realizing that her search
begins each morning and ends each night?
Who is the
liberated one? Sita? Meera? Razia? Lakshmy? You? Me?
