Between powerlessness and power: A study of the marginalized women in Gopala Krishna Gandhi’s Refuge

Abstract

Abstract

Since time immemorial and the inception of human civilization, man has been in practice of framing rules and regulations for the society but not without fulfilling his own vested interests. Though women have always been considered to be “one half of the sky”, history is full of instances where she is meted out with injustice, devoid of basic needs and fundamental rights. Violence against women is a universal problem affecting her at all levels of society. However, differentially situated women have unique experiences with their tragic tales of survival. The constant manhandling and subjugation of women labourers in SriLankan tea plantations document the particular vulnerability of all marginalized women due to the reasons including social isolation, inequality, exploitation and lack of awareness. The present paper is an attempt at throwing light at the portrayal of the woes and worries of the abandoned and marginalized women working in SriLankan tea plantations as delineated in Gopala Krishna Gandhi’s Refuge. It also takes a closer look at the problems arising in the life of a marginalized woman Valli who toils hard in the estates to eke out an existence. They have been forced to withstand the onslaught of discrimination and domination exerted by the dominant Sinhalese. Hope is the only force that keeps them going in their struggles. Hence the paper confirms the fact that all marginalized women, despite their sufferings and despair, fight against the annihilating forces in society to carve a personal and individual space for themselves.