Chuni Kotal: Difference between revisions
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On 14 August 1992, frustrated by years casteist and racist harassment at Medinipur, she left Medinipur and went to meet her husband, Manmatha Savar, who had been working at Railway workshop at [[Kharagpur]]. They had known each other since 1981 and later married in 1990 through a court marriage; Manmatha was a high school graduate himself. It was here that she committed suicide on 16 August 1992, at the age of 27.<ref name=change>''The Changing Status of Women in West Bengal, 1970-2000: The Challenge Ahead'', by Jasodhara Bagchi, Sarmistha Dutta Gupta. Published by SAGE, 2005. {{ISBN|0-7619-3242-9}}. ''Tribal Women - Page 141''.</ref><ref>''Economic and Political Weekly'', Published by Sameeksha Trust., 29 August 1992. Page 1836.</ref> |
On 14 August 1992, frustrated by years casteist and racist harassment at Medinipur, she left Medinipur and went to meet her husband, Manmatha Savar, who had been working at Railway workshop at [[Kharagpur]]. They had known each other since 1981 and later married in 1990 through a court marriage; Manmatha was a high school graduate himself. It was here that she committed suicide on 16 August 1992, at the age of 27.<ref name=change>''The Changing Status of Women in West Bengal, 1970-2000: The Challenge Ahead'', by Jasodhara Bagchi, Sarmistha Dutta Gupta. Published by SAGE, 2005. {{ISBN|0-7619-3242-9}}. ''Tribal Women - Page 141''.</ref><ref>''Economic and Political Weekly'', Published by Sameeksha Trust., 29 August 1992. Page 1836.</ref> |
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Her death became the focal point of immense political, human rights and social controversy in the media in West Bengal, and eastern India,<ref>''Human Rights: Theory and Practice'', by Debi Chatterjee, Sucheta Ghosh, Sumita Sen, [[Jadavpur University]] Dept. of International Relations. Published by South Asian Publishers, 2002. {{ISBN|81-7003-247-4}}. ''Page 128''.</ref><ref>''Environment and Women Development: Lessons from Third World'', by G. K. Ghosh. Published by Ashish Publishing House, 1995. {{ISBN|81-7024-674-1}}. ''Page 270''.</ref><ref>[http://asnic.utexas.edu/asnic/sagar/fall.1994/dec.94.fn.html "Chuni Kotaler Attohota" (The Suicide of Chuni Kotal)] [[Anandabazar Patrika]], 20 August 1992."Debashish Bhottacharjo, "Amader Progotir Mukhosh Khule Dilen Chuni Kotal, Tanr Jibon Diye" (By Losing Her Life, Chuni Kotal Has Taken Away Our Progressive Mask)"</ref> where the discourse is traditionally [[Brahmin]]-[[Baniya]] dominated. However, her death did not receive the attention of [[Indian American]] social science professors as it did among Western social scientists who were studying the [[Indian caste system]], like Professor Nicholas B. Dirks at [[Columbia University]] and Professor Jan Breman at the [[University of Amsterdam]]. |
Her death became the focal point of immense political, human rights and social controversy in the media in West Bengal, and eastern India,<ref>''Human Rights: Theory and Practice'', by Debi Chatterjee, Sucheta Ghosh, Sumita Sen, [[Jadavpur University]] Dept. of International Relations. Published by South Asian Publishers, 2002. {{ISBN|81-7003-247-4}}. ''Page 128''.</ref><ref>''Environment and Women Development: Lessons from Third World'', by G. K. Ghosh. Published by Ashish Publishing House, 1995. {{ISBN|81-7024-674-1}}. ''Page 270''.</ref><ref>[http://asnic.utexas.edu/asnic/sagar/fall.1994/dec.94.fn.html "Chuni Kotaler Attohota" (The Suicide of Chuni Kotal)] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.is/19980201081830/http://asnic.utexas.edu/asnic/sagar/fall.1994/dec.94.fn.html |date=1 February 1998 }} [[Anandabazar Patrika]], 20 August 1992."Debashish Bhottacharjo, "Amader Progotir Mukhosh Khule Dilen Chuni Kotal, Tanr Jibon Diye" (By Losing Her Life, Chuni Kotal Has Taken Away Our Progressive Mask)"</ref> where the discourse is traditionally [[Brahmin]]-[[Baniya]] dominated. However, her death did not receive the attention of [[Indian American]] social science professors as it did among Western social scientists who were studying the [[Indian caste system]], like Professor Nicholas B. Dirks at [[Columbia University]] and Professor Jan Breman at the [[University of Amsterdam]]. |
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Upon her death, Bangla Dalit Sahitya Sanstha, [[Kolkata]], organized a mass movement through different seminars and street corners, street play protesting against university teachers, on the street of Kolkata.<ref>[http://www.dalitmirror.com/topic1.html Why Dalits in West Bengal are on Protest] ''dalitmirror''.</ref> Since 1993, it organizes the Annual ''Chuni Kotal Memorial Lecture'' in [[Kolkata]] every year.<ref>[http://nandigramunited.blogspot.com/2008/01/home-about-us-contact-us-community.html 13th Chuni Kotal Memorial Lecture]</ref> Later a motivational video film has been produced on her life story by Department of Education, [[Govt. of India]] <ref>[http://education.nic.in/cd50years/12/8I/74/8I740902.htm Media and Communication Supports] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410155941/http://education.nic.in/cd50years/12/8I/74/8I740902.htm |date=10 April 2009 }} Department Of Education, Ministry Of Human Resource Development, '' [[Govt. of India]] ''. </ref> |
Upon her death, Bangla Dalit Sahitya Sanstha, [[Kolkata]], organized a mass movement through different seminars and street corners, street play protesting against university teachers, on the street of Kolkata.<ref>[http://www.dalitmirror.com/topic1.html Why Dalits in West Bengal are on Protest] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827150943/http://www.dalitmirror.com/topic1.html |date=27 August 2008 }} ''dalitmirror''.</ref> Since 1993, it organizes the Annual ''Chuni Kotal Memorial Lecture'' in [[Kolkata]] every year.<ref>[http://nandigramunited.blogspot.com/2008/01/home-about-us-contact-us-community.html 13th Chuni Kotal Memorial Lecture]</ref> Later a motivational video film has been produced on her life story by Department of Education, [[Govt. of India]] <ref>[http://education.nic.in/cd50years/12/8I/74/8I740902.htm Media and Communication Supports] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410155941/http://education.nic.in/cd50years/12/8I/74/8I740902.htm |date=10 April 2009 }} Department Of Education, Ministry Of Human Resource Development, '' [[Govt. of India]] ''. </ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
Revision as of 07:25, 7 August 2017
Chuni Kotal was a Dalit Adivasi of Lodha Shabar tribe, a Scheduled Tribes of India, who in 1985 became the first woman graduate among the Lodha Shabars.
Her death through suicide on 16 August 1992, after years of harassment by officials, united the Lodha Shabar community in a big way. Eventually her story was highlighted by noted writer-activist Mahasweta Devi in her book in Bengali, Byadhkhanda in (1994), ( The Book of the Hunter (2002)) [1]
Biography
Born in 1965, in village Gohaldohi, in Paschim Medinipur district, West Bengal, into a poor Lodha family, Chuni Kotal survived a childhood of impoverishment to become the first woman from a 'primitive' tribe to complete High School. Thereafter, she got her first job as a Lodha Social worker in 1983 at Jhargram ITDP office, surveying local villages.
Eventually she graduated in anthropology from Vidyasagar University, in 1985.[2][3] Two years after graduating, she was appointed as a Hostel superintendent at 'Rani Shiromoni SC and ST Girls' Hostel' at Medinipur, here again she had to face the social stigma attached with her tribe.[4]
Trouble really began for her when she joined the Masters course (M.Sc.) at the local Vidyasagar University. Here she was continuously discriminated against and insulted by her upper caste Brahmin professors (like Professor Falguni Chakraborty and others) and university administrators, who refused to give her the requisite pass grades, despite her having fulfilled the criteria, who opined that a low-born person coming from a "criminal tribe", a Denotified tribe of India, hence did not have the social privilege and pre-ordained destiny to study "higher discourse" like the social sciences.[5] In 1991, after losing two years at the course, she complained, and a high level enquiry commission was set up by the state Education minister to no avail, once the fact that she belonged to a former criminal tribe came to light.[4]
It should be noted that Professor Falguni Chakraborty, who played a leading role in her death, continues to teach and supervise Ph.D. scholars in the Vidyasagar University Anthropology Department till 2016.[6]
Death
On 14 August 1992, frustrated by years casteist and racist harassment at Medinipur, she left Medinipur and went to meet her husband, Manmatha Savar, who had been working at Railway workshop at Kharagpur. They had known each other since 1981 and later married in 1990 through a court marriage; Manmatha was a high school graduate himself. It was here that she committed suicide on 16 August 1992, at the age of 27.[4][7]
Her death became the focal point of immense political, human rights and social controversy in the media in West Bengal, and eastern India,[8][9][10] where the discourse is traditionally Brahmin-Baniya dominated. However, her death did not receive the attention of Indian American social science professors as it did among Western social scientists who were studying the Indian caste system, like Professor Nicholas B. Dirks at Columbia University and Professor Jan Breman at the University of Amsterdam.
Upon her death, Bangla Dalit Sahitya Sanstha, Kolkata, organized a mass movement through different seminars and street corners, street play protesting against university teachers, on the street of Kolkata.[11] Since 1993, it organizes the Annual Chuni Kotal Memorial Lecture in Kolkata every year.[12] Later a motivational video film has been produced on her life story by Department of Education, Govt. of India [13]
References
- ^ Forgotten tales The Hindu, 7 July 2002.
- ^ Economic and Political Weekly, Published by Sameeksha Trust., 1985. Page 1467
- ^ Dust on the Road: The Activist Writings of Mahasweta Devi, by Mahasveta Devi, Maitreya Ghatak. Published by Seagull Books, 1997. ISBN 81-7046-143-X. The Story of Chuni Kotal - Page 136.
- ^ a b c The Changing Status of Women in West Bengal, 1970-2000: The Challenge Ahead, by Jasodhara Bagchi, Sarmistha Dutta Gupta. Published by SAGE, 2005. ISBN 0-7619-3242-9. Tribal Women - Page 141.
- ^ Introduction Contested Belonging: An Indigenous People's Struggle for Forest and Identity in Sub-Himalayan Bengal, by B. G. Karlsson, Published by Routledge, 2000. ISBN 0-7007-1179-1. Page 18-19.
- ^ http://vidyasagar.ac.in/Faculty/Profile?fac_u_id=Fac-ANTH-76
- ^ Economic and Political Weekly, Published by Sameeksha Trust., 29 August 1992. Page 1836.
- ^ Human Rights: Theory and Practice, by Debi Chatterjee, Sucheta Ghosh, Sumita Sen, Jadavpur University Dept. of International Relations. Published by South Asian Publishers, 2002. ISBN 81-7003-247-4. Page 128.
- ^ Environment and Women Development: Lessons from Third World, by G. K. Ghosh. Published by Ashish Publishing House, 1995. ISBN 81-7024-674-1. Page 270.
- ^ "Chuni Kotaler Attohota" (The Suicide of Chuni Kotal) Archived 1 February 1998 at archive.today Anandabazar Patrika, 20 August 1992."Debashish Bhottacharjo, "Amader Progotir Mukhosh Khule Dilen Chuni Kotal, Tanr Jibon Diye" (By Losing Her Life, Chuni Kotal Has Taken Away Our Progressive Mask)"
- ^ Why Dalits in West Bengal are on Protest Archived 27 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine dalitmirror.
- ^ 13th Chuni Kotal Memorial Lecture
- ^ Media and Communication Supports Archived 10 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Department Of Education, Ministry Of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India .
External links
- Forgotten Tales Review of Mahasweta Devi's The Book of the Hunter by Uma Mahadevan-Dasgupta in the The Hindu. Retrieved on 23 March 2007.
- Scheduled Tribes of India
- People from Paschim Medinipur district
- Indian anthropologists
- Indian caste leaders
- Victims of human rights abuses
- Suicides in India
- 1965 births
- 1992 deaths
- Discrimination in India
- Vidyasagar University alumni
- Indian women activists
- Women anthropologists
- Dalit women
- Indian women social scientists
- Scientists from West Bengal
- Dalit activists
- 20th-century Indian educators
- 20th-century Indian women scientists
- Women scientists from West Bengal
- Activists from West Bengal
- Adivasi activists
- Adivasi women