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Showing posts from January 19, 2015

To Every Englishman in India (open letter from M.K. Gandhi)

tone is of sly civility - civil but if you read between the lines, THREAT!!! cooperation in spite of circumstances because he thought it was for the greater good of India risked life during Boer war treachery of Mr Lloyd George and the fact that it was appreciated by the British exploitation of resources - basically saying "we know what you're up to" Punjab atrocities condoned sick burn: "But though my faith in your good intentions is gone,I recognise your bravery, and I know what you will not yield to justice and reason,you will gladly yield to bravery."-Englishmen do not respond well to reasoning-brawn over brains,which they lack. disregard of India's poverty disarmament and emasculation  degrading treatment meted out to Indians "ensured our incapacity to fight in open and honorable battle" however, bravery of the soul still an option - strong spirit cooperation would only lead to greater enslavement   the masses not responding to ...

Transports of Delight by Manjula Padmanabhan

Manjula Ranganathan's style Wicked commentary on TSRs dangerous - physiological hazard motorized disasters also mentions unemployment and the general bad attitude of the drivers make up in numbers what they lack in size and agility, like flies personalizations and modifications remove the reverse gear to sell as spare parts bikaneri phut-phut autorustic god's rocket baroques-on-wheels hell's trishaw auto-ethnotic strato-darter road rani

The Rock by Ismat Chugtai

Translated from Urdu by Tahira Naqvi Treats them like property patriarchy and the imagined necessity to control women Use and abuse Not a strong rock Literally domesticates women - complete transformation - cannot raise 'The body' - clear difference between male and female Women and transition Food as a metaphor for psyche of women Emotional eating Exerting rights Greater over wife Sister may do as she pleases - she has a voice, and agency - all women not treated the same Suppression of women with no direct violence shown Exposes injustice Links to follow:  http://www.urdustudies.com/pdf/20/11RajakumarQuilt.pdf Ismat Chughtai's story "The Rock" chronicles the transformation of two young, spirited brides into frumpy, docile housewives, each left in turn for younger, more svelte and more spirited women. The irony is that the husband and the female members of his family are responsible for the transformations, the first narrated in detail and th...