Naribader Nana Path by Ritu Sen Choudhuri [Hardcover]

"In contemporary Bengali works related to feminism, there is often an added pressure to simplify any topic. The unnecessary simplification often diminishes the impact of the subject matter and logical progression. The opportunity for more nuanced readings is often lost. In fact, the reason for such devaluation in the Bengali literary circle is feminism’s own limitations. Even today, the academic practice of feminism is confined to urban, middle-upper-class, elite Hindu women. In many cases, perhaps unknowingly, Bengali feminist imagination and theory are constrained by Western, English-language-based thoughts. Even when the regional aspects of Bengal are highlighted, it is mostly on the level of experience or local history, not on the ground of theoretical thought. Between English theoretical frameworks and Bengali experience stands the wall of linguistic and cultural colonialism. An effort to break this wall is the collection 'Various Readings of Feminism'. It does not deny the universality of feminism, but aims to create a space for its continuous dialogue and understanding with regionalism—a collective project of reading the periphery from the center. This anthology compiles works by researchers, experts, and activists engaged with feminist politics in the Bengali language. Knowledge is generally produced within the circle of power. To look beyond that illuminated circle, a political perspective becomes essential. Hence, this anthology is divided into four parts: The Politics of Theory and Concepts, The Politics of Identity, The Politics of Representation, and The Politics of Emotion. Feminism is viewed through four different lenses—revealing the many layers of power across various stages from thought to experience, from theory to activism—within the broader framework of feminist politics."