Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 13:38:40 -0500
From: Partha Banerjee <partha-AT-capital.net>
Subject: Re: Collective Letter to the "Bride-burning and Dowry" Conference


Friends:

I just need to make one comment here. Under item 1, where it says "the
state of Rajasthan...where bride-burning is accepted practice", it probably
should say instead, "the states of Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab,
etc., i.e., the BJP strongholds, where brides are brutally burned most
often upon the non-payment of dowry."

The state of Rajasthan has seen the practice of Sati in recent years. Sati
(outlawed in India since 1830s) is the forcible immolation of the widow,
forcing her to burn with her deceased husband.  This is done mostly by
in-laws to capture her property, etc.  This practice is different from the
incidents of bride burning and dowry deaths the latter being much more
common in the so-called "cow belt" of India.

One thing is common in all such brutal killings of women -- they are done
by the ultraconservative patriarchy of India (including the mothers in-law)
-- the traditional supporters of social and political status quo, now
represented by BJP (before it was Congress, the party of Indira Gandhi).

This petition deserves strong support (with or without revision -- **one
suggested revision would be to put our points down in an affirmative rather
than an interrogative form**) specially from South Asian women and their
friends from around the world.

Regards,

-Partha

_____________________________________

>To those who wish to sign this, here's the letter I came up with...if
>you have suggestions, comments, or changes, please send them to me for
>incorporation for the final version:
>
>Dear Dr. Witzel,
>
>RE:  Bride-burning and Dowry Conference
>
>Please provide a clear account of the reasons for having this conference
>being held at Harvard University, a forum that is heavily populated by
>VHP/BJP presenters.  We have several questions we wish to ask you:
>
>1.  Are Harvard scholars aware of the history, rise, and known
>oppressive actions of the RSS/BJP/VHP in India (the state of Rajasthan
>is a BJP stronghold, for example, where bride-burning is accepted
>practice)?
>
>2.  What is the political make up of the Sanskrit and Indian Studies
>department faculty at Harvard University?
>
>3.  Does Harvard support fundamentalist views, which this
>conference seems to suggest?
>
>4.  What is Harvard's investment in women's issues other than purely
>academic research based on observing oppressed populations of women
>(victims of sexual harrassment, abuse, battering, job discrimination,
>e.g.)?
>
>5.  Why is this "conference" an *academic* one?
>
>6.  Why are non-academic representatives from among women activists
>around the world absent from this forum?
>
>7.  Why is the focus only on "bride burning and dowry" -- what's the
>link
>to Sanskrit and Indian Studies?
>
>8.  How should the public perceive the *incorporation* of a
>cause:  "International Society Against Dowry & Bride-Burning in
>India, Inc."?
>
>Thank you for your time and consideration.  We look forward to your
>reply.
>
>
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>Signatures:
>
>
>
>
>iview-AT-technologist.com wrote:
>>
>> lizzy wrote:
>>
>> > As to the email address provided (thanks) of witzel -AT- harvard etc.,
>> > now that I've shot my mouth off about wanting to help, I realize I don't
>> > know what to say to him - maybe because I don't know his role in all
>> > this. Guess I need more information.
>> > Lizzy
>>
>> Maybe women's voices shouldn't be alone and isolated, but a letter
>> composed that we can all sign and send to Witzel.
>>
>> Some quesitons I have are:
>>
>> 1.  Why is this "conference" an *academic* one?
>> 2.  What is Harvard's investment in the suffering of abused/battered
>>     women globally?
>> 3.  Why focus only on "bride burning and dowry" -- what's the link
>> to        Sanskrit and Indian Studies? (I can hear the answer to this
>> already!)
>> 4.  How should the public perceive a man who has incorporated a
>> cause:      "International Society Against Dowry & Bride-Burning in
>> India, Inc."? 6.  What's the "business" angle?
>>
>> After getting answers to these, I'm sure I'd have more questions!
>>
>> But, my suggestion is we write a collective letter to him.
>>
>> -Manjusree