As I flew into Kolkata at night the city reared up from darkness. Spidery half finished concrete structures and teaming blinking lights reminded me of scenes from Blade Runner, less the digital advertising hoardings. There was definitely something dystopian about it. This feeling of unease wasn't much helped by the drive through the city to my hotel in a battered 1950s Ambassador, each block we passed containing at least one shell of a building and vast mountains of rubbish piled by the roads. I had booked on the Internet into a place for three times my budget just to have somewhere to stay as I arrived so late. Upon arriving I found the shabby grotty room bore no relation to the one presented on the slick Flash website sadly.
However in the morning light the city was not so grim, the people friendly and cheerful as ever, the downtown area split by an enormous green park called the Maidan which gave it an airy feel. I went to the Indian Museum - disappointing in terms of actual information but in possession of a lot of attractive sculptures including some interesting greco-Indian hybrids, a legacy from those Greeks who stayed on in the Indus valley after Alexander made his way home through Persia. I've included a photo.
After that to the Victoria Memorial - a palatial mass of white marble set in well manicured gardens. Perhaps the zenith of Raj architecture in India, and a rival of sorts to the Taj Mahal. It has etched in the main hall a laughable pronouncement from the British queen that ""under our rule the great principles of liberty, equity, and justice are secured to [Indians]" Fine words hardly backed up in action, but such was the imperial way. It is hard not to wonder how history would have been different if there had been serious intent behind this lofty statement.
I found myself to be there on World Women's Day and a talk was held at the Memorial about the position of women in India today. The speakers, three lady professor' were informative as much as they were eloquent. The feminist situation in India on the surface seems positive, an example even. A current national woman President, several state governors who are female as well and leaders of political parties are well represented by women. Indira Ghandi was smashing heads together in Dehli long before Maggie ascended to do the same in Number 10.
However more generally only about 8% of the seats in both houses are held by ladies, and the near total absence of women on the streets, running rickshaws, acting as waiting staff, running businesses, points towards a heavily male dominated society.
One speaker, a lady of seventy or so in a red and gold sari and holder of a lecture chair at Dehli, became impassioned as she spoke, clenching her right fist in the air. "We need to take action now. Feminism in India is not just about the ability of women to buy mobile phones and the vote, it is about jobs, representation, liberty, independence!" Her voice cracked and tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
But there were only about sixty of us in the room listening, and of those only six or seven were women. The struggle seems a long one ahead.
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| Typical Kolkata... |
However in the morning light the city was not so grim, the people friendly and cheerful as ever, the downtown area split by an enormous green park called the Maidan which gave it an airy feel. I went to the Indian Museum - disappointing in terms of actual information but in possession of a lot of attractive sculptures including some interesting greco-Indian hybrids, a legacy from those Greeks who stayed on in the Indus valley after Alexander made his way home through Persia. I've included a photo.
 |
| A Greco-Indian Krishna statue |
After that to the Victoria Memorial - a palatial mass of white marble set in well manicured gardens. Perhaps the zenith of Raj architecture in India, and a rival of sorts to the Taj Mahal. It has etched in the main hall a laughable pronouncement from the British queen that ""under our rule the great principles of liberty, equity, and justice are secured to [Indians]" Fine words hardly backed up in action, but such was the imperial way. It is hard not to wonder how history would have been different if there had been serious intent behind this lofty statement.
I found myself to be there on World Women's Day and a talk was held at the Memorial about the position of women in India today. The speakers, three lady professor' were informative as much as they were eloquent. The feminist situation in India on the surface seems positive, an example even. A current national woman President, several state governors who are female as well and leaders of political parties are well represented by women. Indira Ghandi was smashing heads together in Dehli long before Maggie ascended to do the same in Number 10.
However more generally only about 8% of the seats in both houses are held by ladies, and the near total absence of women on the streets, running rickshaws, acting as waiting staff, running businesses, points towards a heavily male dominated society.
 |
| The Victoria Monument |
One speaker, a lady of seventy or so in a red and gold sari and holder of a lecture chair at Dehli, became impassioned as she spoke, clenching her right fist in the air. "We need to take action now. Feminism in India is not just about the ability of women to buy mobile phones and the vote, it is about jobs, representation, liberty, independence!" Her voice cracked and tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
But there were only about sixty of us in the room listening, and of those only six or seven were women. The struggle seems a long one ahead.
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