Date: Thu, 5 Dec 1996 13:02:00 -0500 (EST)
From: pbanerj-AT-wadsworth.org (Partha Banerjee)
Subject: Harvard dowry conference -- some comments


At the just-finished "dowry conference" at Harvard Univ. (which was otherwise a
dismal conference because of its extremely poor turnout and lack of
direction), a small group of Hindu fundamentalists tried to defocus the issue of
dowry deaths in India upon the excuse that oppression on women is a global
phenomenon -- thus there is no need to blame Hinduism or India for these abuses
(Read: Don't rock the socio-religious status quo in India). The rising number of
dowry deaths in Pakistan was frequently cited by one such speaker.

With the absence of participants from Indian women's groups (from either
USA or India) with knowledge about Hindutva movement and the undertone of
Hindutva-peoples' message on subjects such as dowry and dowry deaths, it was not
easy to convince the other women present at the meeting that their "global
phenomenon" excuse was just a ploy.

In India, now the Hindu groups such as BJP and VHP are trying to
indoctrinate women along the line of Hindutva (The term "Hindutva" could be
summarized as resurgent revivalist Hindu movement) . In the absence of any
parallel *nationwide* organized women's movement in India, chances are that
they will be successful -- unless progressive Indians and especially
progressive women around the world take the time to find contradictions
among the women leaders of Hindu groups and their men counterparts and use
the contradictions to demystify their "pro-women" sentiments.

I look at it this way: one day it's a Hindu problem in India, the other day
it's a Muslim problem in Bangladesh or Sudan -- before you know it, very
soon it's going to be you -- that is, unless you do something about it now.

Partha Banerjee, Ph.D.
Mycology, Room 3009
David Axelrol Institute
WCLR, NY State Dept. of Health
120 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, NY 12208, USA
Phone: (518)-474-2168
Fax: (518)-473-6150

________

The above comments are mine and not necessarily my employer's.