From: sarkar@grip.cis.upenn.edu (Nilanjan Sarkar)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Changing role of women: A woman's perspective
Date: 24 Jul 92 21:38:35 GMT
Organization: General Robotics and Active Sensory Perception(GRASP) Lab, 
              University of Pennsylvania

In article <1992Jul24.161123.14482@usl.edu> sgs@ucs.usl.edu (Sudhindranath SG) writes:


>As I said before, mainstream Indian women's lib movement _is_ a 
                   ----------------------------------------------
>mimicry of the Western women's lib movement. This is clear 
 -------------------------------------------


This is a fairly strong statement. I hope you can corroborate
this in a little more rigorous manner. I will agree if you say
that Indian women's lib movement gets its inspiration and
motivation from the west - but to say it mimics west is kind
of derogatory unless you provide some references as to why you
say so.


>when you look at the opinions of the many women "libbers" in 
>India. There are frequent references to what is happening in
                  -------------------

Frequent refereces does not necessarily indicate one's inclination
towards mimicry. For example, in case of advanced technology (e.g.
robotics) people often refer what the Japanese are doing. It is kind
of getting informed about what is going on in your area of interest
(which can be women's lib) and then decide your own plan of action
taking advantage of the wisdom that your predecessor have already
found out.




>the West. IMO, indulging in pre-marital/extra-marital relationships 
		             ---------------------------------------
>is one such influence.  You may or may not agree with this. But no one 
>can dispute that there is a Western influence. (I for one wouldn't
                             -----------------


Well, I do not find anything wrong with pre-marital relationship,
but, then that is a matter of personal choice. But, why do you
say that these are necessarily western influence ? It is always
there in our society - may be not explicitly. Even you find
such stories in Mahabharata,... which shows that these are
part of Indian society too. No society (to the best of my knowledge)
encourages extra marital relationship but every society has
its fair share (explicitly or implicitly) and to blame the west 
for such already existing phenomenon does not make sense to me.




>AT ALL be surprised if women "libbers" in India soon pick up the 
>western woman's pro-abortion refrain of "the right over our bodies".
>Again IMO, the _body_ becomes all-important when the _soul_ ceases
>to have any importance, but I think I am digressing).



Whether someone will consider their bodies more important than their
souls or vice versa is totally personal - there should not be
any standard encompassing everybody.



>IMO, women's liberation movements, like revolutions or communism 
>or even democracy, are not exportable/importable commodities.
   			    ---------------------

Yes, it may not be 'exportable/importable' in its entirety
but I fail to see the reason why it can not be properly modified
to suit your condition. What is the point in reinventing the
wheel from the scratch ? 


>Regards,

>--Sudhi.


-Nilanjan
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian