Indian women by Shiv K Kumar

Indian women by Shiv K Kumar

In this triple-baked continent

women don’t etch angry eyebrows

on mud walls.

Patiently they sit

like empty pitchers

on the mouth of the village well

pleating hope in each braid of their Mississippi-long hair

looking deep into the water’s mirror

for the moisture in their eyes.

With zodiac doodlings on the sands

they guard their tattooed thighs

Waiting for their men’s return

till even the shadows

roll up their contours and are gone beyond the hills.

INTRODUCTION –

The poem Indian Women is a part of the collection of poetry, Cobwebs in the Sun published in 1974. It can be considered as an embodiment of describing an Indian woman. It deals with the endless story of the sufferings of women of the Indian subcontinent. In this explicit poem, the poet describes the lifestyle of the typical Indian women in the villages. How they live in the patriarchal Indian society, their character, practices, and activities of their daily life. He culturally defines these women and their nature in this poem.

POET –

Shiv Krishna Kumar (16 August 1921 – 1 March 2017) was an Indian English poet, playwright, novelist, and short-story writer. In 1971 he toured Australia as a Cultural Award visitor. In 1978, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. His famous works include Where Have The Dead Gone? , The Bone's Prayer, Rough Passage To The Bodhi Tree, etc.

SUMMARY –

The poet describes India as a triple-baked continent. By triple-baked he means that Indian women are under three circumstances of the country- sun, sex, and poverty. It’s a hot country that has a patriarchal society and poverty is at its peak. They do not etch angry eyebrows on mud walls, because within homes their status remains that of passive receivers of others’ angry emotions. The male member is the head of the family and she becomes a victim of his anger. Even in her love life, she is the most exploited in terms of sex as she is only letting her man extort his love from her. Also, the women are the worst sufferers from the excruciating poverty of their families. “Mud walls” indicate the existing poverty, a condition which does not affect the women alone but all members of the household. But man can etch his brows on the mud walls (raise his eyebrows in anger) and the woman cannot.

The typical Indian village woman spends most of her time like an empty pitcher in the mouth of the village well. The woman has to fetch the required amount of water for domestic purposes by trekking long distances. She sits on the mouth of the village well like an empty pitcher waiting for her turn to collect water from the well. But, the water there is just trickle and is not so deep to read her reflection with tears in her eyes. Even in this hopeless distress, they pleat hope in each braid of their Mississippi-like long hair. The hope is for the water.

Tattooed thighs of women refer probably to the names of their men that are tattooed to indicate the ownership of their femininity. The female has only the duty to preserve her chastity by guarding her thighs against possible intruders. The guarding of her chastity is done not for herself but for the man whose name is tattooed on her thighs. She is supposed to take care of it, in the sense she has to be careful not to get indulged with any other man because that would bring shame to her husband. She waits for her man’s return who has gone beyond the hills. It is now dusk and all the women have already left the well for their homes. The shadows have vanished and the Sun has sunk beneath hills. But, the woman is still waiting for the return of her spouse. Hence, Patience is the virtue for the most cherished women in India. This is the daily routine of culturally bound Indian women.

THEMES –

• Patriarchy - Within the lines of the poem there are several occasions where you can find the mention that women are worse affected by this society. They are not allowed to show anger and remain at the passive end of love-making. Even the protection of their chastity is not for themselves but the men.
• Poverty – Mud walls indicate poverty, a condition that does not affect the women alone but all the members of the household. But the man can etch his eye-brows on the mud walls and the women cannot. Hence they are worst affected by poverty.

END –

The poem is a mirror of the conditions of the rural Indian women. Their lives are limited to their household chores and their family members. They are unhappy and in pain but are unable to understand it. Their lives are worse affected by poverty as her works are increased but their position in her household remains the same.