Intersectionality and the short stories of Mahasweta Devi: Unique lens to discover social discrimination with critical analysis of colonized mindset.

- Manali Moulik

           "If you see inequality as a 'them' problem, then that is the problem"  Kimberlé Crensháw

It seems very glorious to speak against social discrimination from an air-conditioned room. No doubt, the discussion may be enriching, but the heat-wave of discriminated life never used to reach there. 

'Discrimination’ is such a word that is connected with the unequal treatment of different segments of society. But when some voices from the cultural world used to reach there, that voice must acknowledge the diversity first. Mahasweta Devi is an extraordinary writer, and her immense legacy depends on discovering such diversity. Our Western-educated mind is a barrier to us in looking at this diverse type of resistance. Mahasweta Devi, as a prominent figure in the field of literature, offers us a unique lens to see the world. Her short stories are generally based on discrimination against women from the most vulnerable section. This article is not just an analysis of the whole framework of Mahasweta Devi's stories, but also the pattern of intersectionality and our mindset. Different community members use their own type of resistance to fight against social discrimination. It is our limitation of thought that we have failed to acknowledge it. Mahasweta Devi's stories are mostly women-centric. It speaks for the discriminated woman first, then spreads its circle toward her community, social structure, political situation, and the whole trajectory of the state.  Now, the question has often been raised in the discussion of feminism: 'Who is a woman?' 

Is it someone who works in a multinational company? Only the struggle between her workload and family issues will be the subject? Is it someone with Western thought and an accomplished outlook? What will be the signs of feminist resistance? Lipstick, glorious metropolitan life, English-speaking power, and glamorous look? Or anything else that will be different from the Western stereotype? Really, the western feminist theories taught us how to identify the components of discrimination, but every societal pattern is not the same in nature. It is the main legacy of the stories of Mahasweta Devi that she pointed out the 'systematic discrimination' against women. Some revolutionary works, which are going to be discussed in the article, are --

'Breast giver' (স্তন‍্যদায়িনী), 'Sanjh Sokaler Ma' (সাঁঝ-সকালের মা) 

The most prominent interpretation of Jacques Derrida's 'Deconstruction' theory is found in the work of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. She also made an extensive translation and analysis of Mahasweta Devi's story named 'Imaginary Map'.  Spivak mentioned the main problem of Western feminism is that they have explained the problems of third-world women through the lens of Western women. So, it became a barrier between two different cultures. Since the second wave of Western feminism appeared, Spivak analysed this in her essay 'An international framework of French feminism'. Spivak's work is much influenced by Luce Irigaray and Julia Kristeva (writer of 'About Chinese Women'), but she mentioned the value of Mahasweta Devi's short stories in this context.

◆ 'Breast Giver' as a short story is invaluable for understanding societal factors. Western feminism marked childbirth as an unwaged labour. This reproductive work only led women to be subordinated to men. Shulamith Firestone also mentioned in her work 'Dialectics of Sex' (1970) that childbirth made the lactating women submissive to men. The short story 'Breast Giver' completely opposes that idea. Here, the protagonist Jasodha, an illiterate, subaltern woman, used to feed her family and her crippled husband. Her income technique was to work as a breast giver and wet nurse in the rich-Brahmin households of their village.  Jasodha got the respect as 'kali r ongso' (Sent by Goddess Kali) and 'Devmantta' (having special power from God). In that feudal village, everyone used to respect that subaltern woman only for her work. She got the source of income to maintain her family and her crippled husband through this work. The rich feudal family used to give her a monthly salary for working as a wet-nurse. For being a lactating woman, Jasodha used to carry a child. So, her reproductive body became a source of economy. This is an enormous concept that few people could imagine. Women like Jasodha never came into the discovering lens of our Western mindset. This continuous exploitation of the body led to her death from painful breast cancer. The dialogue between the doctor and Jasodha's husband is mentioned below for better understanding.

Kangalicharan (Jasodha's husband): What is wrong with her doctor? What is her disease?

Doctor: It is cancer.

Kangali: Is cancer possible in the breast?

Doctor: Then how did it happen?

Kangali: She has fed many children, sir...her breast milk was the source of our income...sir. Our twenty children, thirty children from that rich man's household. 

Doctor: What did you say? How many children has she fed? 

Kangali: Sir, it may be fifty children.

Doctor: Fifty... children???

Kangali: Yes, sir.

Doctor: She has given birth to twenty children? 

Kangali: Yes, sir.

Doctor:  My god!! 

Hereby, readers get to know that Jasodha was a professional breast-giver. And her husband became a professional father. This dialect also opened many points of a hierarchical and patriarchal feudal society. The mother-in-law of that rich household decided to give Jasodha this work. Because her husband became crippled in a car accident of the son of her own. Also, her sons asked her to make this decision, then Jasodha's family could not raise any complaint. So, the 'systematic discrimination' is again revealed here.

◆ Sanjh-Sokaler Ma:  Previously, I mentioned that Mahasweta Devi's work is based on extensive social studies. Her deep knowledge and sympathy for tribal women are another component of her story. 'Sanjh-Sokaler Ma' is another enormous work where superstition became the source of income. But here is a twist. The protagonist character, Joti Thakoorine, is a girl from the Nishada community. They are nomadic and led their life by a hunting culture. She gets married to a person outside their community. Here, the readers get to know some credentials of their community. Nishadas can't get married to anyone outside of their community. So, the blood relation is limited within their society. A common belief is that they are the successor of 'Jara Byadh' (A hunter, mentioned in the Mahabharata, who mistakenly killed lord Krishna with his arrow) So this sin of their ancestor made them live a nomadic life. Joti were traumatized about the life of her husband after marriage. It is clear that how such beliefs can affect one's mind. Everyone will be agreed that superstition is harmful at this point. But after the birth of their son, Sadhan, Joti’s husband died. She was unable to return in her own community because previously she broke the rule. A monk, near a station helped her with money and food to save the life of her child. Very soon, some people came there to disturb her. Being sexually harassed, she didn't understand how to feed her child and how to survive. This transition period reminds the reader about the naked reality of our society. Those people who announce themselves as 'gentlemen', also involved in such harmful activities. Women like Joti, subaltern and innocent about city-life are easy prey of them. This harsh reality also faced by metropolitan women just like her. But the story revealed about more deep connection of human psychology with superstition and so-called 'civil society'. This connection how sharply used to save the life of Joti and her son. The monk gave her a red - attire and Trishula. He said,..."Here the notorious and cruel people will harass you forever. My girl, leave this area with this attire and Trishula. In this peculiar time (Koliyuga) human don't have humanity. But still now, monk and nuns can travel freely in the third-class compartment. No one will see you in bad sight." 

Then she arrived in Howrah junction. A person who helped her in the train (also a pauper who earn by singing in the compartments) harassed her with bad proposal. Joti remembered the suggestion of that monk. Who told her to announce herself as 'Joti Thakore'

She asked, “Why Thakoorine?"

Monk: "You can say to protect yourself. There is no sin for saying so."

Joti used to make the circle of religion and superstition all around her. There was no other way to save her own life and her son. People get to know she can connect with God for all the day except in the mornings and afternoon. So many people came to her in the time middle of these two periods for her unnatural power and superstitious mindset. Their money and other reliefs helped her to feed her son. She suggested him,..."Don't call me mother at that time. Also, you will call me 'Thakoorine.' Only in the morning and late evening you can call me again mother" 

This context proved the meaning the story's name 'Sanjh-Sokaler Ma'.

So, people can easily say that superstition is backward going of human life. But we know very limited about the society out of our own sphere. The harmful superstition here became a blessing for Joti. She saved own prestige and son's life from the harsh reality. Here a subaltern woman used civilized people's inner-backwardness as own form of resistance. Every form of Mahasweta Devi's story told us some unique points about which we don't even know. It is the revolutionary and razor-sharp pen that give legacy to her cultural works.

So even Antonio Gramshi has failed to draw the outlook of third-world subalterns. About to say the third world women, where a single ray of light does not reach. Mahasweta Devi as a light-giver to that darkened points should be noted by us. Her approach to intersectionality proves the woman like Jasodha and Joti also exist. One careful reader must acknowledge their resistance as their own type. Or else, we will become a slave of colonial thought process which prevent us to discover the broader perspective of life.