Watch: This Mother-Daughter Duo Fight Intergenerational Injustice With The Written Word

As India was recently jolted by numerous cases of crimes against women and girls, we were galvanised into confronting the grim reality that these acts are not just isolated events but the repercussions of a deeply flawed system. In SheThePeople's latest edition of Women Writers' Fest, mother-daughter writers duo Dr Rakhshanda Jalil and Aaliya Waziri engaged in a riveting conversation with Senior Editor Bhawana Bisht, examining these issues through a critical lens and explored how we can progress as a society where women feel safe and equal.

Revered literary historian Dr Jalil's collection of essays, Love In The Time Of Hate, captures an India where the love for the country is often challenged by the intolerance that permeates our society. Meanwhile, lawyer Waziri's book In The Body of a Woman, scrutinises the everyday struggles of women in India. 

A Society Tainted By Hate

As the title aptly suggests, Jalil's book Love In The Time Of Hate is a weapon against the "dark forces" as she notes-- the misogyny, communalism, toxic masculinity-- that runs through our society. She expressed that she aims to "rejuvenate and replenish" the narrative through her work.

"Every day, the newspaper headlines give us so much to think about. So much that troubles us, so much that confounds us, so much that pains us... As a writer, the only tools I have are words. To write, to talk about love. Love for the country, love for its cities, its people," she expressed.

The Politicisation Of Women's Bodies

A prominent conversation that arose amid the recent cases of sexual violence is the notion of "protecting women." Slogans like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao are often sprinkled throughout political and social discourse, yet the reality on the ground exposes the emptiness behind these cries.

Aaliya Waziri concurred, "If you see most of the discourse around the recent Kolkata incident, everyone is talking about protecting women. But the debate is not about protection, it's about safety." She cited the conditions on women's freedom that put the onus of their safety on themselves.

"You (the system) are using the existing apparatus to fit women's protection into it and saying 'This is the society we live in. Let's mould women in a manner where they will feel more protected... This is the solution; take it or leave it'. That is now how it works. You don't fix a broken bone by placing a band-aid over it."

Dr Jalil further expanded on this idea, illustrating how sexual violence against women is an assertion of power and control. This is seen in numerous cases amid communal disputes like the 2018 Kathua child rape case in Jammu and Kashmir or the frequent abuse of Dalit women.

She explained how women's bodies often turn into contested sites of violence, right from before independence, to during the partition of India, to ongoing clashes like in Manipur. "This whole business of 'izzat ka badla' (reverence for honour) is mostly reeked on the bodies of women."

Written Word As Aid

In times of turmoil and uncertainty, where does one seek refuge? "In poetry, most naturally," believes Dr Jalil. "We have seen during Kolkata protests, the anti-CAA protests, and various other instances that the one thing that comes to our aid each time is poetry," she expressed.

Dr Jalil quoted an excerpt from Love In The Time Of Hate, from the essay, 'The Universal Declaration of Human Rights'. "'Tamaam insaan janam se barabar aur azaad hain, sab ke yaksaan waqaar hain, sab ke yaksaan hukhooq hain' This talks about the equality of human rights." 

She emphasized the profound significance of these words, noting that they encapsulate the essence of human dignity and equality. She also read a few short Urdu poems mentioned in her book, which have come to the comfort of the agitated public across the country during troubling times. 

"In just a few words, [poetry] is able to articulate the concerns that many people have. You and I and others who are not poets might not have the ability and the means to say certain things which the poet has already said for us so why not use them? Why not use them as resources to aid our larger fight?" 

Dr Jalil stressed the importance of literature in sparking dialogue and voicing the silenced cries. On the other hand, while Waziri acknowledged that writing about issues can often feel like a "shout in the void," she remains hopeful and passionate that her work will inspire real change. 

The conversation between Dr Jalil and Waziri stands as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of the written word. Through their respective works and journies, they confront oppression and advocate for a future where safety and equality are not just ideals but realities.