Title: In Search of Faith Amidst Qualms: Colonial Era Assamese Novelist Chandraprova Saikiani’s Quest for Liberation, Emancipation and Empowerment
Stream: Literature/Literary Studies
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Authors:
Maloshi Choudhury, North Gauhati College, India
Abstract:
The quest for liberation, emancipation, empowerment and imbibing the resilience required for survival in today’s world is a pre-requisite for achieving gender equality. While the world today in 2022, stands up to chant the mantra of gender equality for a sustainable tomorrow (theme of International Women’s Day, 2022), here in Assam we join the movement by taking pride in and offering our obeisance to Chandraprova Saikiani, a prolific author, a freedom fighter, a social reformer and the pioneer activist of feminist movement of Assam. The paper aims to highlight on the resilience exhibited by her while facing different odds in her life and her only novel ‘Pitri -Bhitha’ will be brought under scanner to give a glimpse of the socio-political atmosphere of colonial era in Assam. The author’s public voice addressing the public by crossing the traditionally ascribed space in domesticity and her private voice questioning the idea of transcending the traditional status that patriarchy has ascribed her, will be critically examined. In her novel she overtly presents women’s awareness about their subjectivity during the colonial period. The conflict between the traditional and the progressive values brought forth by colonial modernity finds expression in her work. The quest and search for faith amidst qualms initiated by feminist activist Chandraprova Saikiani in colonial Assam (India) is relatable even today. The quest continues.
Conference Comments & Feedback
Place a comment using your LinkedIn profileShare this Presentation
Comments
Powered by WP LinkPress