Monday, January 04, 2016

Voices of women

Rahul Banerjee Here is an invigorating quote from nineteenth century Argentinian feminists to start the year on a revolutionary note - 
“fed up as we are with so many tears and so much misery; fed up with the never ending drudgery of children (dear though they are); fed up with asking and begging; of being a plaything for our infamous exploiters or vile husbands, we have decided to raise our voices in the concert of society and demand, yes, demand our bit of pleasure in the banquet of life.”
- La Voz de la Mujer (The Voice of The Woman, the mouth piece of Argentinian Anarcha-Feminists)

 From Women writing in India, vol1, Songs of the nuns, sixth century BC. Sumangalalatamata, pages 68-69 :
A woman well set free! How free I am
 How wonderfully free from kitchen drudgery.
Free from harsh grip of hunger,
 And from empty cooking pots.
 Free too of that unscrupulous man,
 The weaver of sunshades.
 Calm now, and serene I am,
All lust and hatred purged.
To the shade of the spreading tree I go
 And contemplate my happiness.
And one from Mutta: 
So free I am, so gloriously free,
 Free from three petty things-
 From mortar, from pestle and from my twisted lord,
Freed from rebirth and death I am,
And all that held me down
 Is hurled away.

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