Seminar and story reading on women’s discussion and literature
Jaipur
Here, under the joint aegis of Parishkar College of Global Excellence and Progressive Writers Association, a state level seminar and story reading was organized on Saturday on the subject of “Women’s Discourse and Literature”.
Chief guest at the seminar, eminent writer and keen critic Dr. Sunita said that for women empowerment, there is a need to think at the level of consciousness and behavior. Unless there is awareness about women in the family and society, women empowerment will not be possible. Dr. Sunita said that the first step to empowerment is education. This leads to all-round development. Today’s girls are working in every field. They should bend as much as is necessary to take a decision in favor of humanity.
She said that for women empowerment it is necessary that we rise above “Pink Feminism” and adopt “Grassroot Feminism”. We need to move beyond mere glamor and symbolism and focus on solving real problems. Only when women are empowered at the grassroots level will there be overall change in the society. The real meaning of women empowerment is fulfilled only when women recognize their own voice. A woman’s empowerment is linked to her self-confidence, self-respect and struggle and this is her real power. The sensitivity of women is much more than that of men. Dr. Sunita said that Akka Mahadevi and Mirabai of Rajasthan chose the path of resistance. He also remembered the Queen of Jhansi and said that the woman is still in the middle.
Referring to the learned women of the Mahabharata period, Dr. Sunita said that what is being created today will impact tomorrow. Gandhiji took women along for the success of the independence movement. Mahadevi Verma and Subhadra Kumari Chauhan laid emphasis on women’s education. Mahadevi Verma worked in prose, sketch, poetry and memoir genres but she was limited to only a poetess. Women’s special issues of Chand and Maryada were published in 1914. Kamla Nehru edited the special issue of Maryada.
Dr. Sunita said that men have also increased the resistance of women. It is not that only a woman can understand a woman’s feelings. A man can also understand a woman’s mind and her feelings and can write. Today women are writing more novels in Hindi than men. Women writers have responded to the allegations against them through their writings. Today she is working in painting, film script writing and film direction. Today women are progressing very fast in the media also. Equality of women has not been ensured in the corporate sector and all India services. There is a need to empower them at behavioral and economic level.
Senior litterateur Nand Bhardwaj said that in the history of Indian literary culture, women have had to struggle continuously for identity. The entire human society has been under the power of mother. The role of woman has been decisive. In the Vedic period, women were glorified more, whereas in practice it is not so. With the advent of slavery, monarchy and feudal era, taboos against women started increasing. Like water, forest and land, Joru was also considered a commodity. No attempt was made to empower women. After the French Revolution, women got rights and women started getting organized. Freedom and power lie within the woman herself which needs to be recognized. If we fight together we will get strength. This understanding has developed in modern times. In Indian literature, women have done a lot of work in novels and stories, there are less women in criticism but those who are there are strong. They will have to recognize their own power and come to an equal level. The faster this process is, the more liberation and empowerment will be possible.
Well-known litterateur and educationist Dr. Raghav Prakash said that women are better than men in many ways. A woman has more feelings and emotions than a man. Culture arises from human cognitive development and technical emotional development. He said that if we look at the history of 2000 years of wars, gunpowder was used in making guns instead of using it in positive works. Man is a symbol of selfishness and woman is a symbol of service. Gandhiji had already warned about the ill effects of mechanization in Hind Swaraj. Due to education, girls started studying and today 80% of the gold medals are with girls. Recently, 65% of the girls have become judges. The right to give 30% reservation in Parliament is being continuously postponed. Man is against woman. Women have now woken up, today women have a big dream in front of them. Women need to create a new world.
Senior litterateur Dr. Hetu Bhardwaj said in his concluding statement that we should leave aside the past and talk about women empowerment of the present. Literature should be written by going closer to the life of women empowerment. Commenting on the story of women empowerment, storyteller and general secretary of Prales, Mrs. Rajni Morwal said that today the demand of our society is that women should be empowered to take decisions in their own favor and take their own decisions.
Executive President of Prales and senior satirist Farooq Afridi said that only when the society becomes aware of women’s rights will it get the right to equality. Such ideological seminars will create an environment and increase public awareness. State President of Prales, Govind Mathur said that such ideological efforts should be continued. Seminar Dr. Neelam Kulshrestha also shared his experiences.
Senior critic Rajaram Bhadu said in his presidential address that the ideology and creative tendencies of women empowerment are different, which the litterateurs should keep in mind. Change in women empowerment comes from self-image and self-image is formed from consciousness.
The second session of the seminar was based on story recitation focused on women empowerment. In this, storyteller Dr. Madhav Rathod recited stories on women like memories stuck in dreams, Dr. Tarana Parveen on protection and Vandana Gupta recited stories on women’s issues like helplessness. Dr. Shraddha Adha, Rajni Morwal, Sundaram Shandilya reviewed them.