Three women from diverse fields, Sampat Pal Devi, Shubha Mudgal and Radhika Vaz, shared how they shattered stumbling blocks to stand on their own. Pallavi Gupta reports
SAMPAT PAl DEVI
The Gulaabi Gang leader Sampat Pal is the voice of the weak and chastised women. Her courage to fight against injustice revolutionsed life of several women in villages.
Though Pal never intended to be of help, the aristocracies against women made her a crusader.
“I was born in a backward village, where education was not meant for girls. I knew it was my right to be educated, but out of fear, I never poked my parents as to why I was not sent to school. I used to sneak around the school to catch a glimpse of the board and tried making sense of the words written. At the mere age of 12, I was married. I did not know anything. I was part of the helpless crowd and did everything that I was expected to do — a slave cum bahu I was. But, I understood something was wrong,” said Pal.
She started from her village and spread the word of “open thinking” across other villages.
It was not an easy task in a male-dominated society, but Pal took a strong stand.
While talking about her initial days of taking a stand for herself, she recounted, “My first revolt was against my saas (mother-in-law). According to a custom, the bahu would dine after everyone finishes off. I revolted against it. I mean I buy the grocery, cook and serve it. Then I look at the faces of my family members while they relish it and in the end I have the leftout portions. Why this injusticeIJ So, I started eating first. It did upset my in-laws tremendously but I did not care. And my stubbornness worked. I got free of the household madness and with this I draped boldness around me.”
Called awaraa for her audacious acts, she went on to convince and educate village women of their basic rights. She got together these domestically hesitant and timid women and established an army of thousands of women whom she encouraged to have a tongue to raise their voice against brutalities. With this, Gulaabi Gang was created. Followed by the birth of the gang came the dress code for effortless identity of her association’s members, and thus came the gulaabi sari; the news of which spread like wild fire across the country. Her story also inspired a documentary film by Nishtha Jain. The film has received the Best Film on Social Issues and the Best Non-Feature Film editing at the 61st National Film Awards
SHUBHA MUDGAl
The tune of Ab Ke Sawan Aise Barse makes your fingers tap and lips murmur. Melodies like these still take our hearts away. The androgynous quality in her voice is unique. Shubha Mugdal with her songs has entertained masses for decades with albums such as Ab Ke Sawan and Pyaar Ke Geet.
She followed her passion and boldly made her place in the male-dominated classical music industry all by being true to her art.
Mudgal while sharing her story of opportunities and dilemmas said, “Back in my days, if you were a professional musician it meant you belonged to a khandan of hereditary musicians who held in their family the traditional knowledge of various styles. I do not belong to a family of hereditary musicians but I am here today successfully having found a place in the Indian classical music industry. My parents were teachers and most of my family members were and still are academicians. As per the family ritual, I too should have been a lecturer but I always had a passion to learn music and my parents did happily let me follow my passion.”
Artists face the pressure to conform to what they fit in best. Some artists succumb to this pressure while others accept this challenge and surprise the world with their work.
“During my graduation, my parents made me a fantastic offer. My mother had realised that I was crazy about music and told me that I didn’t need to go the conventional way of academics. She said I needed to pursue music more seriously. And this changed my life,” she said.
Mudgal with her sublime singing and composing brilliance shook the music industry in the 1980’s and her charisma hasn’t faded a bit till date.
RADHIKA VAZ
Radhika Vaz can crack you up with her jokes. She gets you face to face with the day-to-day obsession of women needing to be an eye candy for the men and men wanting to see ever glowing women, who as per them should not age.
What is the dumbness with, “Forty is the new 30”, she says. We are ageing. SoIJ Age is now offensive which is why women these days constantly lie about their age because looking our age has become an insult. Old is the new fact the world needs to understand.”
Vaz while talking about the womanhood said, “Women are to be liked, we’re told how to dress, behave, eat, and they are told all this bag of rubbish so that they can be more likable. Women need to love themselves for who they are. They need to get comfortable in their own skin. They should not seek ways to make the world fall head over heels for them, but should just embrace their inner self.”
She hilariously explores the world of cosmetics and beauty-woman issue. Radhika left advertising and entered the world of comedy to follow her true calling.
“I think for me, the thing as a comedian that I learnt was how to not care if you are not liked. One just cannot be everyone’s cup of tea and one needs to be cool with it. And as a woman this understanding has impacted my life and made me love myself for who I am,” said Vaz.
These women were speaking at the conference organised by The Shift Series at Alliance Francaise. Mythologist Dr Devdutt Pattanaik, transgender activist laxmi and filmmaker Nishtha Jain also took part in the event and shared their success stories.