Womb to Tomb (An Odyssey of Gender) K. Chandramouli, IAS

1
Womb to Tomb (An
Odyssey of Gender)
K. Chandramouli, IAS

• Thus spake the foetus
• Maa!
• Why were you taken to a Doctor today?
• To know whether I am going to be a male or
  female child ?
• What if I am going to be a female?
• What if your whole family forces you to abort
  me?
• Will your sweet home turn into a heinous
  crime dungeon,

2

• Promise me a few things,
• Infant cries
• Did the doctor say it is too late for
  abortion?
• Therefore, you allowed me to survive?
• But if I am born, will your mother in law not
  push paddy grains in to my tender throat?
• Foeticide could have been painless, but as an
  infant I will suffer pain, please decide!
• If I am to be born, will you ensure
  institutional delivery, your breast milk,
  immunization, health care?
• Please do them all as was done to my brother
  before
• I can stand the whole world discriminate, but
  you please dont

3

• Child wails
• Wasnt it the same day I was born last year?
• I dont want any celebrations
• But give me your warm embrace and hide me from
  those demons.
• Child mortality
• Malnutrition
• Anemia
• IDD
• Child labour
• Child abuse
• And can you ward off all of them by
  continuing me in an anganwadi and then in school?
  

4

• Adolescent curses
• I am anaemic,
• I see more food in brothers plate, when I am
  more hungry than him
• I am pulled out of school and thrown in to
  child labour
• Please change me out of that work..
• the jackal there may whisk me away for
  traficking and then to Commercial Sex Work
• And after, for no fault of mine, I can be a
  victim of HIV/AIDS

5

• Adult woman sobs
• As a worker
• This work place is not safe,
• My lone friend was sexually abused and she is
  not to be seen now,
• I am discriminated in wages, employment and
  with unfriendly tools,

6

• As a wife
• Why have you married me off so early,
• You suffered early marriage, knew the
  perils,
• but didnt stop mine
• My in-laws harass, husband beats up,
  demand more dowry, I dont get enough to eat, I
  cant call any asset as mine, but can only be in
  drudgery of unpaid care work and farm work, I can
  be the victim of polygamy and sati,
  If I
  resist any one of them, I may be divorced or even
  killed,

7

• As a pregnant woman
• Tell me maa, why am I anaemic,
• I have a baby shaping in me though I am not
  ready to be a mother,
• I am the last at home to eat, if there is
  anything left,
• I dont know whether I would be taken to an
  institution for delivery,
• And I dont know whether my baby would also
  ask me the same questions I am now asking you,

8

• Older women cant even cry
• (tears also dried out)
• If I survive all this, I reach a more
  vulnerable age, only to fall sick, to be a widow,
  a destitute,
• all my children have flown away, for they
  all got wings,
• And there is one place beckoning me.
• THE TOMB

9

• Maa! Are you listening?
• Why are you silent?
• Promise me that all that I fear will not
  happen, only then shall I
• COME OUT!