Women in Ancient India by Pradip Bhattacharya

Women in Ancient India
Author(s): Pradip Bhattacharya

Reviewed work(s):
Source: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 26, No. 24 (Jun. 15, 1991), p. 1426
Published by: Economic and Political Weekly
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4398068 .
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LETTERS TO EDIHR
mother's command, once stated, must not Britishersto colonise our forest resources
Women in Ancient India become false!Similarly,PandudirectsKunti and now, through 'scientific, 'objective'
THIS refers to Sukumari Bhattacharji's which god she must sleep with on all three studies,these argumentsare being presented
'Economic Rights of Ancient Indian occasions for getting him foster-children. to us once again.
Women' (March 2-9). Her otherwise tren- Like Madhavi, she announces the boon she It is high time that.such studies by WRI
chant presentationis vitiated by a startling possesses and does not mind being used as and other similar institutes in the West are
inaccuracyon page 511,column 2, paragraph a child-producing machine. We have, examinedand exposedby researchinstitutes,
3. She writes: "Devayani was part of therefore,to see the psychological make-up NGOs and citizen groups in Third World
Sharmishtha'sdowry; but Yayatiwho maP- of the women themselves whereby they couj#ries.Tocounterthe Westernhegemony,
riedSharmishthaenjoyedDevayanislylyand volunteer for such exploitation. Obviously, we need to have more data base and scien-
begot Anu, Puru and Druhyu in her' This some sort of self-fulfilmentis involvedin the tific institutions to look into the en-
is unauthentic. The Mahabharata states transaction and it cannot be treated vironmentaland developmentalissues, both
precisely the converse in section 75, verses simplistically as another instance of global and local.
34-35, section 81, verse37, section 82, verse MCP-ism,particularlyin SharmishthaweaA Insteadof seriously examiningthe issues
25, section 83, verses9-10 of the Sambhava ing her net of enchantment around Yayati of equity between developed and develop-
Parvaof the Adi Parva.Accordingto these, who has scrupulously been avoiding her. ing countriesraisedin the CSE study,Allen
Devayani forces Yayatito marry her, and Calcutta PRADIP BHATTACHARYA L Hammond of WRI ( Indian Express,
takesSharmishthaalong with her as dowry. Jauary 28) argues that such issues should
Devayani has Yadu and Turvasu as sons, only be discussedand negotiatedin the con-
while Sharmishthas6licits Yayatiin secret, Environmental text of a global climate convention and the
United NatioffsConferenceon Environment
persuades him that it is his duty to satisfy
her desire for chil4en, and begets Druhyu,
Colonialism and Developmentto be held in 1992. Here
Anu and Puru thereby.It is not Yayatiwho THIS has referenceto your editorial'Global again, there is a serious danger of over-
approachesSharmishthabut the other'way Warming: Environmental Colonialism' representationof environmentalgroupsand
about. Sharmishtha slyly enjoys Yayati. (February23). The Centre for Science and institutes like WRPfrom the industrialisede
Bhattacharjialso misrepresentsthe story Environment(CSE) study has challengedthe countries and marginalisation of popular
of Madhavi on the same page. Yayati,not findings of the WRI report on global war- evironmental movementsand groups(such
having 800 horses with one ear black each ming which puts ths blame on developing as the Ganga Mukti An4olan and those
as demanded by Vishvamitraof Galava as countries for the occurrence of global involved in the Baliapal struggle in India)
'guru-dakshina' gives him his daughter warming. By using the data from the WRI from the Third Worldcountries. There is a
instead, since by giving her in marriage to Report WorldResources 1900-91,the CSE growing concern and gonsciousness in the
a king, Galava can obtain these horses. study examines the validity'of argunents ThirdWorldcountriesabout the needto stop
Unfortunately, Haryasva,to whom Galava and myths put forward by this study that the constructionof environmentallydestruc-
goes first, has only 200 horses.That is when India,China and Brazilare amongst the top tive developmentalprojects like big dams,
Malati herself, noticing the despair of five countries responsible for the global nuclear mining projects, tourism, etc. But
Galava, tells him that she possesses a boon warming. the voices and views of environmental
whereby she regains virginity even after This is not the only study carried out by movementsand groups who are involvedin
giving birth to a child. It is Madhawiwho WRI which blamesthe developingcountries such struggles. will not heard if mere
suggests to Galava that he should give her for environmentaldestructionin the world. tokenismprevails.Therefore,it is the respon-
to four kings desiring sons, and thus obtain In fact, a few yearsago, the WRI published sibility of environmental groups and
800 horses. Thereby, Haryasva, Divodasa a report for the World Bank and U.NDP, movementsfrom the Third Worldcountries
and Usinara,each gets a son and Galavagets TropicalForests: A Call for Action. This to come together, build solidarity and
600 horses. To make up for the missing200, studyalso put the blameon poor people,not alliances with like-minded groups from
he gifts Madhaviherselfto Vishvamitra,who profits, for tropicaldeforestationand called developedcountriesso that realissuesrelated
begets Ashtaka, the rajarshi. It is this for commercialforestrybased on privatisa- to environment and development can be
Ashtakawho saveshis maternalgrandfather tion to solve the problemsof deforestation discussed and debated in the conference.
Yayatifrom fallinginto the earthlyhell when and poor.These argumentswereused 1y the Delhi KAVALJITSINGH
he is thrust out of heaven. The 'usage'
aspect, therefore,is a directconsAquenceof Subscription Rates
MAdhavi's own suggestion for rescuing Inland
Galava, and is 11otimposed on Ier, for she (including Nepal and Bhutan)
could well haveremainedwith the first king, (in rupees)
Haryasva,by keepingthe secretof her boon Six months One year Two years Three years
Institutions - 400 775 1150
safe. Individuals 170 325 625 925
Actually, even prior to the pledging of (CoJnces.ional Rates
Draupadi in the dice-game, the use o( the Teachers/ Researchers - 225 - -
woman as an object is first made by Kunti Students. 17- 5
7S
herself, the mother-in-law. While Arjuna Concessional rates are availableonly in India. To avail of concessionahates, certificate from relevant
and Bhimahold the incensedkingsat bay in institution is essential.
the bridegroom-choicearena, Yudhishthira Remittance by money order/bank draft/postal order requested. Please add Rs 14 to outstation
and the twins scurry home. Thus, Kunti cheques towards bank collection charges.
knows all about what has happened when Foreign
Bhima and Arjuna come home with (in US S)
Draupadi. Kunti calmly asks the five Air Mail Surface Mail
brothersto divide the princessamong them Institutions Individuals Institutions Individuals
Pakistan, Bangladesh
equally,and then gets extremelyanxiousthat & Sri Lanka 00 30 40 20
her word should not become false. Vyasa USA, Canada, UK, Europe,
puts on a command performance with Japan, New Zealand, 125 80 4 40
fnythicaltales in ordertk persuadeDrupada Australia & USSR
All other countries 80 50 50 30
to a,grejto the polyandrousunion, with both
All remittances to Economic and P'olitical W.fklv
Kunti a'nd Yudhishthirainsisting that the ________________________________ I~~~~~~~~~~-
1426 Economic and Political Weekly June 15, 1991

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Author(s): Pradip Bhattacharya

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