At The Hindu Lit Fest scheduled for 2024, a compelling session titled ‘Imaging Women Nationalists: Serving the Nation State’ will connect the dots between personal liberty and political sovereignty. Three distinguished women, each masters in their respective fields of art and activism, will explore the intersection of nationalism and feminism in a blend of storytelling, discussion, and dance.
Anita Ratnam, a veteran dancer, together with Kathak maestro Shovana Narayan and Dalit rights advocate Shalin Maria Lawrence, will deliver vibrant narratives of undervalued heroines from India’s fight for independence. Their session promises a unique experience, set to simultaneously evoke the past and resonate with the present. Attendees are set to witness two dynamic performance acts interwoven with insightful dialogue about the intrinsic relationship between domestic liberation and national autonomy.
The anecdotes slated for sharing are poised to bridge personal and historical experiences. Ratnam, for instance, intends to narrate the feats of Captain Lakshmi Sehgal and juxtapose her story with that of a woman in Ratnam’s lineage, who defied orthodox caste regulations for the sake of love. Ratnam’s emphasis is clear: the struggle for individual agency at home is inextricable from the collective quest for the nation’s freedom.
Narayan’s act is an artistic tribute to a ‘feisty female’, Begum Hazrat Mahal, who rose from the tribulations of being sold into a brothel to confronting and resisting British colonial forces as the Begum of Awadh. Her narrative celebrates a woman who was far ahead of her era, advocating for equality, and courageously leading her people for a decade against foreign domination. Shovana Narayan teasingly withholds personal anecdotes for the live audience, hinting at a wealth of stories yet untold about countless women who abdicated comfort for the arduous undertaking of a free India.
The artists have meticulously tailored their performances, originally part of a larger work, to the prestigious platform of The Hindu Lit Fest. Ratnam emphasizes the transcendent power of performance art to communicate complex ideas, promising an exceptional collaborative presentation.
Shalin Maria Lawrence will shed light on the historical denigration of courtesans, despite their erudition, and the pervasive patriarchal structures that continue to undermine women’s issues, taking the discourse right up to modern obstacles like the stigmatization of abortion. She will advocate for Dalit women, discussing their battles against the endemic scourge of caste and memorializing the radical stance on women’s rights championed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
The entrancing session, complete with its promise of unforgettable musical accompaniment, is set for January 26 at 6:50 p.m. at the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall, Harrington Road, Chetpet. It’s geared to blend the sensorial allure of powerful performances with stimulating conversation to illuminate the formidable contributions of women to India’s legacy of independence.
The forthcoming event not only aims to honor historic female figures but also seeks to galvanize contemporary deliberations on women’s agency, ultimately fostering a deeper appreciation for the intertwined nature of personal and political emancipation. As The Hindu Lit Fest gears up for this intellectual and artistic confluence, the anticipation around ‘Imaging Women Nationalists: Serving the Nation State’ builds, poised to offer an unparalleled encounter with the lives and legacies of women who bravely moulded the contours of India’s freedom narrative.
