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History of India
Internal Assessment
Creative Essay
Submitted to
Prof. Nitika Ladda
Department of Political Science
Submitted by
Anushka Sarkar
23/701
BA(Hons)History-B
April 15th, 2025
A Conversation Between Pandita Ramabai and Tarabai Shinde on Women in 21st Century
India
The sunlight of winter poured in through the windows of the tiny library where Pandita
Ramabai and Tarabai Shinde sat facing each other. Books filled the room—new books, old
books—a proper background for these two trailblazers who had never met in their lives but
whose efforts had formed the groundwork for women's freedom in India.
Pandita Ramabai, with her short hair and firm face, pushed up her glasses as she set a tablet
computer on the table between them. Tarabai Shinde leaned forward with interest, her
nine-yard saree draped stylishly around her, her eyes keen and questioning.
"So this is the 21st century," Ramabai said, glancing around at the new library. "Over a
hundred years have gone by since we composed our works."
Tarabai nodded, her fingers outlining the rim of the tablet. "And we are here to judge what
has changed for our sisters in this new India? I wonder if they have finally broken the
shackles we struggled against."
"Let us look," said Ramabai, wakening the tablet with a light touch. "Let us look at what has
happened to the widow I wrote about in 'The High-Caste Hindu Woman,' the child brides, the
women who were denied education. And the women you so wonderfully defended in 'Stri
Purush Tulana.'"
The Legal Landscape
"It appears," Tarabai started, going through data on the screen, "that legally, women have
made tremendous progress. The Indian Constitution enshrines equality before the law,
prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex, and even permits special provisions for
women and children."
Ramabai smiled in agreement. "During my day, I promoted women's education and
independence when most thought a woman's only role was to serve her husband. I established
the Sharada Sadan to educate widows when society had discarded them. Now, at least on
paper, the government is behind women's rights."
"Indeed," Tarabai answered. "The Hindu Succession Amendment Act of 2005 finally granted
daughters the same inheritance rights over ancestral property as men. Do you recall when I
wrote in 'Stri Purush Tulana' about the gross injustice of women being treated like property
themselves, never mind property owners?"
Ramabai smiled grimly. "I do not forget. You wrote, 'If a comparison is to be made between
men and women, then let it be just. When God has made men and women equal, why has
man assumed superior status?' Your words were revolutionary then."
"And yet," Tarabai asserted, her tone serious, "in spite of these legal safeguards, I hear stories
of ongoing discrimination. The National Family Health Survey reveals that 43% of Indian
women between the ages of 15 and 49 possess a bank account they personally manage, and
29% of women own land, typically together with a male relative."
"Laws don't change hearts overnight," Ramabai sighed. "When I wrote about the suffering of
Hindu widows in 1887, I wrote about how they were 'constantly tormented.' Although sati is
now banned, I see that widows in cities like Vrindavan and Varanasi continue to be
abandoned and destitute."
Education and Empowerment
Tarabai reached for the tablet, searching for statistics on women's education. "Here is
something that would have given us hope in our time: female literacy has risen from less than
10% in our era to over 70% today."
Ramabai's eyes sparkled. "Education was always the key. My own education was
scandalous—a woman studying Sanskrit and becoming a Pandita! When I started the Mukti
Mission, I hoped one day girls' education would be the norm."
"But the gap persists," Tarabai said. "Male literacy continues to lead female literacy by some
15 percentage points. And girls' dropout rate, especially in rural areas, is still high."
"And what about higher education?" Ramabai asked. "When I went to study in England and
America, I was a novelty—an Indian woman seeking higher education."
"Today, women account for almost 50% of college graduates in India," Tarabai pointed out.
"But their presence in STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—is
End of Document
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