Book Review- Caste as Women by Vrinda Nabar

Women belong to the reasonable half of what humankind calls “mankind.” A constantly brewing discussion has unrevealed a debate much hard to ignore. Can equality ever exist between the two sexes? Caste as women, by Vrinda Nabar brings out the portrayal women have faced region across region, religion across religion and time across mankind. 

Is it easy to be a woman or is it not? Have fragmented or plausible institutions we “people “have created the reason for this gender injustice prevalent in our society? Women, have perhaps faced this battle of in-equality since their birth, and the society has done nothing but paid blind attention to this. Whether it is decades ago, or it is in today’s time women always face a discriminatory stature and this is the reality of existence.

“Discrimination between the sexes in India begins at birth, or even before it. It starts before the child is born, in the mother’s womb. None of the conventional blessings showered on a pregnant woman mentions daughters. It is doubtful whether one would actually exhort a woman to be a mother of a hundred sons in today’s India……It exhorts her to have at least one son, preferably the first born. No well wisher, it would seem, would admit to wanting anything else,” as said by Vrinda Nabar.

Women face discrimination on a three-fold basis: sex based, caste-based, and class based.  Thus, hidden behind this mask, this persona or this “make-up” she is forced to wear can we take a look at women in our society.

‘A woman in India is made to feel morally obliged to bear a son. Her married life, even today may be a round of frustrated pregnancies.’- Vrinda Nabar

This book lays out the ‘reason’ women have been given for existence- a reason she lives and the purposes she must fulfil to stay alive. Her time is ‘measured’ at her father’s home, and she is conditioned to realize that her central role is her duty towards her husband and children.  Her home, after her father’s home is sketched out as a place where her happiness may never be found.

A female child was believed to be a liability towards the family, and parents ushered in an early marriage to rid themselves of the responsibility they would have to carry.

Indian society has ingrained in it, “the typical female role.” She must, from early days incorporate this “home-bound duty”, one where the responsibility of the children and home is hers, whereas the income accumulation is the father’s.

Girls from a tender age prepare themselves for their role in society.  Constant endeavours are made, to make the girl child “fit” for her role to be played in society. Any sense of masculinity must be diminished- whether seen in her physical appearance where she has to rid her body of “hair” or has to engage upon activities deemed as “suitable and correct” for her gender.  Her voice is limited to what is expected from her, and washed out of any complaints.

I feel that this book has placed an illuminated reality of the plight women are trapped in today’s times. The present plays with the past and there is no escape for a woman. Her rights are determined by her role and how well she performs them. Justice is non- existent and is a never