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1、Pursuits of Women Intellect and Activity in Independent India:Measures and Challenges Dr. Neelima SinhaProfessor of PhilosophyMagadh UniversityBodh Gaya (Bihar)India-824 234e-mail: neelima_ & General Secretary Bharatiya Mahila Darsanika ParisadIndian Women has an age-long history of intellectual pur
2、suits and leadership activities. In Upnisadic period we find the name of Gargi who entered the debate with Yajnavalkya and asked serious questions regarding brahman vidya. Mahabharata refers name of Sulabha, a leady who stated merits and demerits of a vda (reasoning) in the court of king Janaka. Thi
3、s long list which include the names of Ghosha, Lopamudra, Madhavi, Draupadi, Kunti, Sita and many others. There is another list of Indian women who wrote golden verses on the pages of political history of India including Rajia Sultana, Maharani Laksmi Bai, Rani Ahalya Bai Holker, Smt. Indira Gandhi,
4、 Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Her Highness Pratibha Devi Singh Patil and others. The long list of women in literature includes Meera Bai, Mahadevi Verma, Mahasweta Devi etc. Kalpana Chawala, Aishwarya Rai, P.T.Usha, Sanya Mirza, Malleshwari,.the list may include thousands of names but the motto of this paper
5、is not to prepare the list of distinguished Indian women . Indeed, there is another aspect of this golden coin ironically. In this post- modern era Indian women continues to languish in a patriarchal society and a colossal percentage to them, largely belonging to traditional and religiously orthodox
6、 families, are deprived of even social mobility and are bound to live in a low social status. In independent India cases of atrocities and exploitation of women are on increase. According to a recent survey20% of Indian Women think that physical violence against a women is an expression of love of t
7、heir husbands and 58% of male grant it as husbands right( Reference: Hidustan, Daily News Paper, Patna Ed.3rd March 2010). The decade-old Bill for reservation for women in both houses of Parliament and State Assemblies is still to be tabled in Parliament. According to latest census report of India (
8、2001) in independent India women literacy rate is 39.30%, non-enrolment of girl children is 29%, voting in parliament is 55%, life expectancy at birth is 59.4%, 30% of Indian Women live in below poverty line, Women representation in LokSabha is 7.9% of the total seats (this time this percentage is m
9、ore shrinking), gradually declining sex ratio etc. tells the whole story of the status of women in independent India. But there is a positive sign. A large number of Indian women are no longer prepared to accept the idea that a womens chief function is to be house-wife and mother. They have begun to
10、 attach more importance to financial independence and social importance. Half of the nations population and half of the opportunities is the clarion call of modem Indian women. This clarion call, indeed, is a result of women awakening, especially, during the world wide movement of feminism started d
11、uring second half of the last century. There are two long term feminist goals that underlie women struggle for liberation from oppressions and discrimination in all spheres and in all levels in society. The first one is freedom from oppression from women involves not only equality but also the right
12、 of women to freedom of choice and the power to control their own lives and bodies as it is essential to ensure a sense of dignity and autonomy for every women. The second goal of feminism is to remove inequality and oppression through the creation of a more just social and economic order, nationall
13、y and internationally. This means the involvement of women in plans for national development and in local and global strategies for change. After independence the Govt. of India has taken numerous measures and making honest endeavors to hoist the status of women and establish gender equality. The co
14、nstitutional obligations as well as different plans, programs and policies have laid emphasis on women empowerment in order to bring them to the mainstream of development. Article 15 of the Indian Constitution prohibits any discrimination on the grounds of sex, while article 15(3) clarifies that thi
15、s provision will not prevent the State from making any special provision for women. Article 42 of the Constitution envisages that the State shall make provision for securing just and human conditions of work and maternity relief. Besides, the Directive Principles of State Policy also urge that the State shall direct its policy towards securing an adequate means of livelihood for women and ensuring equal pay for equal work for both men and women. The Eighth Five Year Plan intends at enabling women to function as equal partners and participants in development by extending t
