Women have been a pivotal force in the evolution of civilization. Every aspect of human history bears the indelible mark of their talent, hard work and resilience. However, as the dominated sex for an inconceivable period of time, the record of their contribution remained shrouded, at times deliberately, in anonymity. They were considered merely an extension of men, the invisible, unmentionable, minute part of their endeavours. With the shift towards subaltern historiography, women's voices began to be heard, understood and analysed. The rise of identity consciousness, riding on the wave of access to education and globalization brought their erstwhile shadows to light, transforming them from a mere outline to a full-grown personality. The approach to perceive women started taking a turn from the lens of 'utility' to 'capability'. Psychological studies highlighting women's special characteristics such as their astounding administrative skills and multi-tasking abilities brought into perspective the unique dimensions they add to problem-solving. Similarly, the stereotypes regarding women's emotional make-up and quotient were questioned and investigated more deeply.
It released them, to a certain extent, from the generally perceived 'softer' and 'compassionate' image. Instead, a wide array of emotions was discovered and highlighted which helped shatter the gendered roles society reserved for them and, in some cases, imposed upon them. It opened up diverse fields for the utilization of their varied talents such as military, sports, science, medicine, space-exploration, entrepreneurship and technology.
India, from ancient times, has been a land of women warriors, rulers, scholars, and explorers, though their names can be counted on fingers. Historiography may have played a role here, though socio-economic barriers also existed and limited their field of activity to a great extent. The book, Bhartiya Nari: Parampara evam Adhunikta by Prof. Satish Kumar Singh, Prof. Vandana Sant, and Prof. Aisha Fatmi becomes extremely relevant in this context. The theme strives to capture women's contribution from varied angles, which does justice to their eclectic talent. A compilation of twenty-four well-researched articles authored by scholars from various streams of knowledge, it covers a huge spectrum of time as well as dimension. In sync with the New Education Policy, 2020, the approach of the book has been multidisciplinary incorporating perspectives from the fields of history, sociology, tribal studies, gender studies, anthropology, technology, cinema, literature, and linguistics etc.
I commend the authors for conceiving this academic work and bringing out a comprehensive and holistic book on women. I am sure that the book would prove to be a useful resource for the scholars of various streams.
Partiest congratulations and best wishes!
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