ILAA
The
atmosphere was resonating with the chimes of the temple bells. The cock was crowing
far away in the fields and little birds chirping in their nests. It was a calm
and enchanting environment. The sound of the great river Godavari flowing, formed
the perfect backdrop of an early morning, in a beautiful village. It was
Sauviragram, a small village situated along its banks, close to the city of
Paithan.
Paithan was also known as Pratishthana (which means place of importance). It was the
capital of the powerful rulers of the Deccan, and also an important commercial
centre encouraging art, architecture, literature, trade and commerce. And Sauviragram was one of its many small
villages.
The climate was
dry and hot. The Sun was rising in its full stature, spreading the golden rays
onto the vast fields that were ripe with their crops. The villagers were mostly
farmers and traders. Due to the prosperity of the Satvahana dynasty, trade and
commerce were encouraged. The villagers
lived simple lives with traditional customs and rituals.
Ilaa,
a young woman lived in Sauviragram with her family. They had a joint family
business of cotton farming, as cotton was the richest produce and brought home
great dividends. Her father was among the well to do merchants, very business
minded and opportunistic, completely dedicated to his work. But still they were not amongst the richest.
The entire family including women had to contribute in the work. They helped to
pick cotton from the plants, leaving the tougher tasks for the men. Collecting
cotton and making bales was the work in progress as they had to be delivered
soon.
But Ilaa disliked this work.
In the
17th century, Europeons came to India. Their trading companies competed
with each other and so local business was very demanding. As it was the business season, the
wholesalers and traders from Paithan would be arriving in just few weeks
carrying gold and goods for barter. The commodities produced in Paithan
(Pratishthana) were brocade, textiles, ivory products, conch bangles,
terracotta ornaments and precious stones. They would exchange these goods for
the cotton the farmers grew. The business season was at its peak. The bales of
cotton had to be ready in time. All the members of the family were busy doing
their share of work in the fields.
But Ilaa was not in the fields.
She loved to
stroll along the river bank, to be all by herself, thinking about her life and
her future. Ilaa was very attached to
her grandmother, who had passed away few months ago. She had not yet overcome
the grief and the emptiness that was created in grandma’s absence.
She was in a melancholus state of mind.
Her grandma
would always tell her interesting stories from olden days, from the glorious
Vedic period. She often heard episodes from the Rig-Veda, which revealed a
stage where women enjoyed equal status with men, of how Vedic sacrifices were
performed jointly by husband and wife, that women acquired education and became
poets and philosophers during that period. They were also free to choose their
partners in life. Social evils like
female infanticides, sati and child marriages were totally discouraged. Inter-caste marriages took place and many
social norms that seemed to be the opposite of what was being followed in the
present times in Sauviragram. And
it disappointed Ilaa.
These
thoughts of freedom and change that were passed on to Ilaa from her grandma had
made a great impact on her. They made
Ilaa think differently than her fellow villagers. It was the 17th century;
she had good knowledge of history and mythology. She could differentiate
between the good and the bad between the commonly followed social norms. She
knew how the degradation of women came about in the post-Vedic period. How
during the time of Kautilya, women were treated as chattel. They had no
identity of their own. The scriptures and the Dharma shashtras favored Patriarchal
systems, which further marginalized the role of Indian women. Ilaa recollected hearing that it was
formerly believed that seclusion of woman was introduced by the Mughals in
India. It was during the pre-medieval period from 3rd century to 12th
century AD, when the status of women underwent further deterioration. And Ilaa did not like it.
When the entire
family was engrossed in the field work, Ilaa was not working. She was
questioning her life instead. Whenever her father would call her for some
errands, she would be missing from home or fields. Her regular escapades of
quietly venturing out of the fields were known in the entire neighbourhood.
People passed mocking comments to her mother for it. But Ilaa was not bothered
about such petty matters.
“Ilaa, where are you, bring me some water.” Her
father would call, waiting for a reply that never came.
“Ilaa, gather this cotton and keep it in the corner.” Her mother
would command unaware of her absence.
“She is not in the fields.”
One of the workers would reply.
“Ilaa, come and help me in cooking, you know Pitla bhakhri
takes time to cook, and we have to rush to do the field work.” Her mother’s
words would fall on the silent walls of the empty house.
It was not that Ilaa was lazy or arrogant. Nor would she run
away from her responsibilities, but the monotonous daily chores and a
marginalized lifestyle suffocated her.
Her thoughts were more open, expansive, and progressive with enthusiasm
and fervor. She could not settle for anything less. The differences in the
positions of man and woman disturbed her greatly. She could not accept it. And she yearned for a meaningful, purposeful
life.
“Aai, why do I have to do all this work? Why am I not
allowed to do what I wish to do? Why is
Narain (Ilaa’s elder brother) not doing work in the fields? He is also grown up
now.”
“I will also go to study and become a scholar. This is not
my work. I am here for more important things.”
“See how the men are bossing over the women. Don’t you see
Aai, how Baba always lets you down in front of other? Do you not feel
insulted?”
Her thoughts would pour out in the form of questions to her
mother. But all her pleas fell on deaf ears. And Ilaa felt disheartened.
During that time
period Paithan also played the role of religious leader in Maharashtra. The
Arya movement, Vedic religion and Bhakti cult became popular. Sant Dnyaneshwar,
Sant Eknath were popular religious leaders from Paithan. The Marathas recognized
the value of Paithan as a centre of religious and economic importance and hence
strove hard to keep it under control. The social environment was therefore very
compact. No one dared to think out of
the box. Where thinking about change was like a crime. The locals had rigid
beliefs and were satisfied with their marginalized social structure. They were
like the frogs in a well. For whom the well was the entire and the only world
that existed. And Ilaa longed to jump out of
the well.
She was open
minded, inteiligent and enthusiastic. The seeds of freedom, growth and equality
were sown in her tender mind through her grandma’s stories. She had secretly
learnt to read and write. And now the compulsion on her to live the life of a
normal village girl, doing domestic chores and field work, frustrated her. She
could not accept it. And yet there was nothing she could do about it. Because
in her society women’s role was only that of a housekeeper and child bearer.
Her broadminded thoughts were not accepted. And
Ilaa did not like it.
“Aai, I don’t want to do this work” she would oppose.
“Dear Ilaa, be sensible, you are of age now. We are looking
for a groom, so that we can get you married and settled in a rich family. Be
practical. That is what we women are meant to be for.” Her mother would try to
convince her, while adjusting her Nauvari sari, while Ilaa looked on, fidgeting
with her skirt.
“I don’t want to marry now,” Ilaa would protest.
“Oh no! Don’t say such nasty things, dear. It is a bad omen
to say such things. We women are not supposed to think that way.”
“Aai, why are you so different from my grandmother? She was
a woman of free will and thought. You were married to her son and lived with
her for years. Didn’t you learn anything from her? And Dad!! How can he be like
this, when his own mother was so different and broadminded?”
“Ilaa, you are being rude to me now. Have respect for your parents.”
Her mother remarked.
“Sorry, Aai, I did not mean to hurt you, but its just that
these thoughts keep on disturbing me.”
“Ok, Ok, I am going to the fields now. Your Baba must be
waiting for lunch. See that you come soon.”
Just as her mother
left the house, Ilaa ran to the riverside, where she often spent her time.
Sometimes with her friends giggling and running around and sometimes all by
herself, contemplating, giving way to her free thoughts. That day she somehow dropped
the idea of going to the fields. Because
she was upset.
In
the evening her 
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