Resisting and Assertive Stance of Pahari Women in Raman’s “Gaachi” and Bhatia’s “And a Song She Became”

A woman in society has often found herself in a subservient role long since the evolution of human species. Her role as a mother, daughter and wife has often led to the erasure of her identity as a human being as her freedom is largely circumscribed by these roles. Seen mainly as an object of sex, a woman often encounters insurmountable difficulties. Many feminist works have depicted the vulnerability of women and their precarious situation in a male controlled society. The experiences of Black women in Africa, white women in European countries and Asian women in Asian countries have found expression in major literary works. However, the experiences of Himachali women have not attracted wide attention so far. Though there are writers of repute such as R.S. Harnot, Yashpal, Sudershan Vashisth, Sadhu Ram Darshak, Gautam Vyathit, Sushil Kumar Phull and others who write in Hindi and Pahari languages, they are hardly translated into English and hence do not get the recognition that such works warrant. The present paper attempts to make a study of two Himachali short stories that poignantly capture the poverty and the resultant deprivation, the spirit of resilience as well as assertive and liberating stance of Pahari women. Translated by Meenakshi Faith Paul in Short Stories of Himachal Pradesh (2007), “And a Song She Became” by Badri Singh Bhatia addresses the life of the protagonist Mahajanu who tries to seek love in her marriage. However, not getting it from her husband, she enters into two more marriages and asserts her choice. The second story “Gaachi” by Tulsi Raman recounts the poverty ridden existence of Murto who not only takes care of her aged in-laws but also rears her children as her husband often fritters away the money on liquor. It also shows how she defies village customs and tills the field, a male occupation. The paper would also attempt to show how the writer echoes Rousseau (1712-1778) when he blames the cities or so called civilization as breeders of vice and a cause of degeneration. Both the stories bring women to the front stage and make them take their own decisions in adverse circumstances.