Women, war, and the making of Bangladesh
Subtitle: remembering 1971
By: Yasmin Saikia
Publisher: Duke University Press
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Durham, NC
Language: eng
Number of pages: 311
ISBN-13: 9780822350217; 9780822350385
Subjects: Violence against; Women and war; Political aspects; History; Political activity; Women
Description: The war of 1971, fought between India and what was then East and West Pakistan, led to the creation of Bangladesh, where it is remembered as the War of Liberation. For India, the war represents a triumphant settling of scores with Pakistan. If the war is acknowledged in Pakistan, it is cast as an act of betrayal by the Bengalis. None of these nationalist histories conveys the human cost of the war. Pakistani and Indian soldiers and Bengali militiamen raped and tortured women on a mass scale. In Women, War, and the Making of Bangladesh survivors tell their stories, revealing the power of speaking that deemed unspeakable. They talk of victimizationoof rape, loss of status and citizenship, and "war babies" born after 1971. The women also speak as agents of change, as social workers, caregivers, and wartime fighters. In the conclusion, men who terrorized women during the war recollect their wartime brutality and their post-war efforts to achieve a sense of humanity. Women, War, and the Making of Bangladesh sheds new light on the relationship between nation, history, and gender in postcolonial South Asia.
Notes: Originally published in India in 2011 by Women Unlimited, K-36, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi-110016, India. Published outside of the South Asian market by Duke University Press.

Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: The told and untold stories of 1971; title: Creating the history of 1971; title: Victims' memories; title: Women's services; title: Women's war.