AN INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF COURAGE AND CONVICTION

This is a story of Dr. Rakhmabai Raut. I read about her almost 10 yrs back in Marathi daily Loksatta and since then Dr Rakhmabai has made an impression in my mind. Today I thought of sharing this inspirational story on this blog.

As a matter of general knowledge Dr Rakhmabai Raut was the first Indian woman doctor who practiced medicine. (First Indian woman doctor was Dr Anandibai Joshi. But due to her untimely death she could never practice.) However the legacy of Dr Rakhmabai goes much beyond that. As one of the earliest voice against child marriage, as a proponent of woman emancipation and as a woman who repudiated her own child marriage she created a revolution in itself.

Born in 1864 Rakhmabai lost her father in early childhood. Her mother remarried as was allowed in their cast to a widower Dr Sakharam Arjun Raut, a medical practitioner and professor in Grant College, Mumbai. Owing to the pressure from her father and other elder family members Rakhmabai’s mother married off Rakhmabai at eleven years of age. But at the instance of the Dr Sakharam, it was decided that Rakhmabai would continue to live in her maternal home till she comes of age and her husband, Dadaji Bhikaji Thakur becomes capable of earning a living.

Dr Sakharam Arjun, a reformer himself nurtured his step daughter in a liberal atmosphere, giving her room to grow and develop into an independent thinking individual. Rakhmabai acquired education and grew up as liberal thinking, self confident woman who refused to lead her life based on unjust traditions and customs. Her husband Dadaji Thakur however slid into an indolent and irresponsible life. He could neither educate himself nor could secure an assuring source of income. Possibly because of this, initially Dadaji did not insist that Rakhmabai should join him in his household. Rakhmabai continued her education and her intellectual development. However as the years passed on Dadaji started pressurising Rakhmabai to join his household and attend to wifely duties. However by that time it became clear that Rakhmabai and Dadaji were incompatible in economic, social and cultural terms. Armed with confidence and courage that liberal nurturing and education had given her, Rakhmabai made a defying decision- she decided not to join Dadaji as his wife and sought the termination of marriage.

To intensify his pressure Dadaji moved to Bombay High Court in March 1884, for restitution of his marital rights. He alleged Rakhmabai’s mother and grandfather of having interest in the Rakhmabai’s property which she had inherited from her stepfather, because of which they persuaded Rakhmabai not to join him. Rakhmabai decided to defend herself in the court. She courageously refuted the charges and held that Dadaji’s waywardness was solely responsible of her decision of not joining him. She was not challenging the point that husband’s house should necessarily be the residence of a wife, but refused to join her husband because of the absence of her consent for the marriage. She argued that since the marriage had taken place in her childhood and without her consent she should be allowed to walk out from it. In today’s India we may not find this remarkable, but Rakhmabai argued this almost 127 years ago, it required an immense courage. And her courage shattered the orthodox and patriarch Indian society of the time.

Rakhmabai’s stand came under all out attack by orthodox Hindu leaders. It was considered as a breach of religious sanctity and an insult of the Indian culture. In fact she was criticised ferociously even by Lokmanya Tilak, who argued that support to Rakhmbai’s stand would wreck the discipline of Hindu marriage under which wives are supposed to pull on with their husbands even under cruel treatment. However first judgment of High Court went in favour of Rakhmabai with court observing that marriage is not maintainable in the absence of consent. This caused tremendous uproar as traditionalists viewing the judgment as an attempt by British to fiddle with Indian culture. Orthodox Hindu leaders encouraged Dadaji to go for an appeal. His appeal was upheld on the ground that British laws were not applicable to Hindu marriage. Court ordered Rakhmabai to join Dadaji as a wife or face an imprisonment for 6 months. Showing an outstanding courage Rakhmabai declared that she would accept imprisonment rather than accepting a forced marriage. She also wrote a letter in Times of India, under the name ‘A Hindu Lady’ criticizing the custom of child marriage and describing its ill effects on the physical and mental health of girls.

Impressed by her reformist and just stand Rakhmabai was supported by various social reformers notably Justice Ranade, Kamaruddin Tayabaji, and Carnelia Sorabji. Rakhmabai’s courage of accepting imprisonment generated widespread support for her and even some orthodox Hindu leaders appreciated her stand. Finally at the instance of both pro-reform and anti-reform leaders an out of court settlement was reached between Dadaji and Rakhmabai, with Rakhmabai paying a fine of Rs.2000/- a hefty sum in year 1888, to Dadaji in return of her freedom. However Rakhmabai never married again.

She went on to study medicine in Scotland. After returning to India she did serve in Madam Kama Hospital, Mumbai for some time and then moved to Princely Sate of Baroda. Wherever she served as a doctor her work was highly appreciated. During the plague epidemic at Surat she led from the front and for her dedicated service she was conferred upon a prestigious award by the then British Government. Dr. Rakhmabai breathed her last in 1955.

Hers was the struggle against patriarchy. Against the male establishment which had thus far taken women for granted. The courage, with which Dr Rakhmabai defied the customs, defended her right of consent and decided to go to jail, unnerved the orthodox anti- reformists. Rakhmabai’s case brought to the fore the issue of women’s consent in the marriage. The awareness that Rakhmabai’s struggle created ultimately led to the passing of Age of Consent bill. Remember she showed this remarkable defiance in 1884. During those days this case was on the front pages of news papers in England and USA as well. Because a woman demanding annulment of marriage for it was against her consent was something unheard of even in western world. The fight against patriarchy to earn the most basic right...the right to choose is a legacy of Dr Rakhmabai’s courageous struggle

130 yrs down the line we have totally forgotten her. Unfortunately our problems have almost remained the same. Child marriages remain a reality in most of the rural India. And even in urban areas it is hard to say that all women are really free to choose for themselves or their consent is considered in matters of marriage. Though things have tremendously improved over a century Indian society still remains notoriously patriarch and there remains indifference among many educated women as well, about their status or their right of making own choices in life. In fact the male dominant society continues to see women as everything else except human beings. The memories of struggles of Dr Rakhmabai will definitely enlighten our path towards still unaccomplished dream of fair and just society for women.

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THE WINDOW SEAT MAGIC

The other day I was returning to Calicut from Trivandrum by train. I had booked my tickets in advance and so had managed to get comfortable window seat. At Kollam station an extended family entered in my compartment. While elders in the family busied themselves with arranging luggage gang of children comprising 4-5 members started competing for window seats. Immediately after settling themselves moms had to intervene in that window seat conflict.

Observing that scene I remembered my childhood and started wondering exactly when this fascination of window seat starts. Of course it starts at very young age and probably remains with us for all through the life unless one adopts a total utilitarian approach in later life.

Observing the outside world from the window of a moving bus or train is always very pleasant experience. The same world looks different when we keenly look at it from the window while travelling. It is like watching a film. You are there, everything is happening in front of your eyes, yet you are not a part of it. And on such moments you feel that the journey should never end.

We keep looking at running trees, vast landscapes, green farms, rivers and waterfalls, hills and valleys, and also bus stands or railway stations, houses and busy markets, children waving hands and road side hotels with loud music being played there. Generally there is nothing unique in any of these scenes. But when we look at them from a window of moving vehicle they certainly become unique and pleasant, may be because we do not become a part of it, but remain only a spectator. For those moments at least we forget our own world. That is a something like a magic of window seat.

While travelling at wee hours or also at dusk window seat gives an opportunity to observe slowly unfolding drama as sun emerges from far away mountains or quietly disappears behind them making dazzling display of golden red light on both the occasions. It is actually like travelling from one world to another.

Long distance travelling at night occupying the window seat is also an experience in itself. That deep darkness all around, that strange feeling as if the entire world is in deep sleep except you and the driver, sudden appearance of dots of lights far away suggesting some village and their subsequent disappearance, the sign boards on the road, chimneys of factories at far away distance, enchanting valleys and glittering sky with sweet moon as constant companion everything looks so unique and way different from our known world.

Travelling in mountainous region window seat offers a sense of adventure. Those sharp turns, deep valleys, bridges and tunnels create quite an excitement for window seat traveller. From window seat rain also looks much more beautiful. Just watch keenly the trees getting fresh in dazzling showers or small stream of water flowing through distant mountains, or even water jumping from rooftops of houses, unprepared passer-by running for shelter or playful children enjoying rain. Everything looks so funny as well as enchanting when seen from window seat. So cool!!! Actually you get into the middle of the rain without getting wet. Of course most of the time fellow passengers will force you to shut the window. That is something really annoying.

Window seat gives an opportunity to get into relaxed, pensive mood. That’s why it is preferred even during daily routine journey from home to office and back. In fact for Mumbai local train passengers getting a window seat is an achievement in itself. One who gets it feels as if his/ her day is made.

Window seat shows the dark side of the world as well. Children begging on railway platforms, desperate hawkers selling items in scathing sun, the hell like slums in big cities, people squatting beside railway tracks during morning hours, window seat shows this all. And you understand that the world is not that much cool. It is a tough place to live in for many.

Window seat indeed gives an opportunity to look at the world in unbiased way. It allows us to observe different facets of the world, forgetting our small-small worries of life. It shows at once that world is a marvellous place if we look at it in that way and try to grasp its beauty. And it also shows that life much tougher for many poor souls thus in a way teaching us to admire what we have got from life rather than complain about it.

Life is also a journey and if we do this journey as if we are sitting on window seat it will be really magical.

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Special Note-I strongly feel that AC compartment of train or AC bus definitely reduces the magical touch of window seat. And in flight there is absolutely no window seat fun as most of the time you see just clear sky or at most few clouds. For some reasons even cars do not offer that window seat relaxation to mind. So if you want to observe real magic of window seat next time travel in non AC train compartment or by non AC bus.