EDITORIAL
I am delighted to present the thirteenth issue of the Journal of Women’s
Studies University of North Bengal (ISSN 2320 3625), a peer reviewed and
refereed Journal.
This volume incorporates the diverse arena of gender issues related to
women’s identity as in literature, her dichotomy to balance between tradition
and modernity, women in politics, representation of women in mythologies, in
colonial photography, the status of marginalized women and women with
disabilities. It contains nine articles which are an expression of largely unspoken
and theoretically unarticulated issues of women revealing the presence of
patriarchy and gender disparity. As Edward Said reminds, “My argument is that
history is made by men and women, just as it can also be unmade and rewritten,
always with various silence and elisions, always with shapes imposed and
disfigurements tolerated” (Culture and Imperialism,1994) and hence, it is
significant to rework, remake and reproduce expressions and dialogues of
women either unheard or over looked in the understanding of gender studies.
This issue focusses on key concepts such as patriarchy, intersectionality
and of experiences of oppression and inclusiveness. It refers to a social system
that privileges men and subordinate’s women in various aspects of life. The first
article by Dr. Varun Kumar Roy titled ‘Women and Contemporary Politics
during the times of Babur and Humayun’ explores the role of royal women in
politics in medieval India in which women were deprived from active
participation in public sphere and formal political institutions yet they could
create influence and space in contemporary political discourse. The article of
Mayuri Bhagat titled “The Female Companions of the Angry Young Men: A
Comparative Study of John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger and Bratya Basu’s
Hemlat” where women as companions of men serve as a support, care yet suffer
from insecurities and frustrations. Representing the characters of Sita,
Soorpanakha and Eve in ‘Daring Tell the Tale: A Thematic Analysis of Feminist
Retellings of Popular Mythological Narratives’ by Shrestha Bandopadhyay
relooks the mythologies from a feminist perspective challenging the gender
norms identified in the society. The article titled ‘Tradition Versus Modernity:
A Comparative Study of Sunity Devee and Gayatri Devi Works (1921-
1976)’written by Sulakshana Lama tries to understand the autobiographies of
royal queens as Sunity Devi of Cooch Behar and Gayatri Devi of Jaipur and their dichotomy in balancing the tradition and modernity within the male dominant
society.
Intersectionality recognises gender as not only axis of oppression but
that it intersects with the other forms of identity such as race, class, and sexuality,
shaping women’s experiences of oppression and struggles. Santosh Mahaldar in
his article “Double Vulnerability: Understanding Disability through Everyday
Experiences of Women with Disabilities – a Brief Treatise” examines the
subjugation of the marginalised voices and mistreatment faced by the women
with disabilities. The article “Unearthing the Silent Narratives of Women of
Darjeeling in Colonial Photography (1835-1947)” by Sourav Sarkar explores
the colonial male perspective in representing the women from ethnic groups as
Lepchas, Tamangs, Bhutias through the lens of British camera. Photography
served as a gendered imperialist project for the British in Darjeeling. Dr.
Purnima Roy in the article “Educational Scenario of Tribal Women in Dooars
and Terai” identifies the causes, challenges and problems faced by the tribal
women in education and provides the suggestions for removing illiteracy from
the women of tribal communities of Terai and Dooars of North Bengal.
Understanding collective identities and struggling to eliminate muteness
by structural representation in politics is important aspect of efforts for gender
equality. Supriya Chanda’s article ‘Evaluating the Nari Shakti Vandan
Adhiniyam 2023: A Critical Analysis of Women’s Reservation in Indian
Politics’examines the importance of diversity and inclusivity of women in
political system of the country. In the article titled “Understanding the Status of
Matua Women in the 20th and 21st Centuries in Bengal” by Sanchayeeta Goldar
speaks of ‘Matri Sena’, an independent women’s organization within the
marginalised women of Matua fold, which tries to bring forth gender equality
and women’s empowerment through women’s leadership.
The journal has followed a blind– folded review process in accepting the
articles keeping in view of the observations and suggestions provided by the
esteemed reviewers. I would like to express my gratitude to the honoured
reviewers whose insights and suggestions undoubtedly enriched the content of
this volume. Furthermore, I extend my appreciation and thanks to all the
contributors whose dedication and scholarly endeavours have brought forth
significant areas of research in gender studies, contributing immensely to the
academic dialogue.
I convey my gratitude to the Honourable Vice Chancellor, University of
North Bengal, The Registrar and The Finance Officer for their support in this
academic endeavour. I am grateful for the cooperation and support from the
colleagues of the Department of Women’s Studies in publishing this journal. A
special thanks to Dr. Beethika Moni Dutta for her efforts and support. A heartfelt
thanks to Dr. Shubhrojyoti Kundu for designing the cover page of the journal.
The unfailing cooperation and help of the officials and staffs of the North Bengal
University Press is greatly remembered for publishing the journal.
Editor
Dr. Dahlia Bhattacharya