Madhu Kishwar

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Madhu Purnima Kishwar, मधु किश्वर
Born 1951 [1]
Delhi[1]
Nationality Indian [1]
Alma mater

Jawaharlal Nehru University (M.Phil) [2]

Miranda House (M.A English) [2]
Occupation

Academic, Writer

Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies [3]
Organization

Founder Editor, Manushi — A Journal About Women and Society (1978 onwards) [3]

Founder and Managing Trustee, Manushi Trust (1979 onwards) [1]

Founder President, MANUSHI SANGATHAN, Forum for Democratic Reforms [1]
Board member of

Expert Committee of Delhi Government for reviewing the policy of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and for implementation of the National Policy for Street Vendors. [4]

Member of the Delhi government’s committee for the reform of cycle rickshaw policy amendment and drafting a new law for NMVs. [5]

Editor’s Guild of India. [6]

Governing Board, Janaagraha, Centre for Democracy and Governance, Bangalore[7]

Madhu Purnima Kishwar (मधु किश्वर) is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and Director,[8]Indic Studies Project.

She is also the founder editor of Manushi, which was started in 1978.[9]The Journal has endeavoured to promote informed activism through research-based writing and critiques on various issues in a manner that integrates women’s rights and concerns in each and every aspect of our national life and has steadfastly avoided the “ladies compartment” approach to women’s issues.[8][10]

She is also the Founder President of Manushi Sangathan, an organization working for democratic reforms that will promote greater social justice and strengthen human rights for all, especially for women.[10][11]

She is an Indian academic and writer.[12] She is a professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS),[13] based in Delhi, and the Director of the Indic Studies Project based at CSDS which aims to promote the study of "Religions and Cultures in the Indic Civilization". She is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and Director,[8]Indic Studies Project. She is also the founder editor of Manushi, which was started in 1978.[9]The Journal has endeavoured to promote informed activism through research-based writing and critiques on various issues in a manner that integrates women’s rights and concerns in each and every aspect of our national life and has steadfastly avoided the “ladies compartment” approach to women’s issues.[8][10] She is also the Founder President of Manushi Sangathan, an organization working for democratic reforms that will promote greater social justice and strengthen human rights for all, especially for women.[10][14]

Life and career[edit]

Both Kishwar’s personal work at CSDS as well as her labour of love with Manushi are aimed at finding effective solutions for the economic,political and social problems confronting us in India today through patient study, non-partisan approach, live interaction with the concerned people and informed activism.[9][8][8]

Her work at CSDS covers three broad categories:

Laws, Liberty and Livelihoods:This is aimed at evolving a pro-poor agenda of economic reforms in India. It involves close investigation of various laws and [8]regulation that trap perfectly legitimate occupations of people[8]working in the unorganized sector of the economy in a web of [15]illegality. Two major outcomes of this research based policy reform[15] work have been far reaching changes in laws for cycle rickshaw[15] pullers and street vendors. She has also worked closely with[16] farmers movements dismantling of restrictive laws on agriculture.

Indic Studies Project to promote the study of diverse cultures and faith traditions in the Indic universe. Apart from organizing major international[17]conferences, Kishwar has organized several dialogues with concerned stakeholders on contentious issues with a view to finding consensual[17] solutions. These include ethics and politics of conversions. Kashmir dispute, impact of Hydro projects on our sacred rivers and[8] mountains, honour killings, religion and violence etc.

Gender Justice: Manushi journal edited by Madhu Kishwar is[9] widely acknowledged as having pioneered a new thinking on women’s[8] rights issues in the country. It is also credited for avoiding the[18]“Ladies Compartment” approach to women’s issues which tends to ghettoize women’s concerns by overlooking the context in which[19] women of diverse communities, regions, castes and class groups are situated.

In 2013, Madhu Kishwar wrote a series of articles titled Modinama (Chronicles of Modi) in her magazine Manushi, where she was critical of the media for what she called their false propaganda about Narendra Modi's role during the Gujarat violence 2002 and in its aftermath.[20] Subsequently, she published the book Modi, Muslims and Media, documenting a similar stance.

Kishwar studied at Miranda House in Delhi, where she was the President of the Student's Union, and then studied history at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.[21]

Kishwar is founder editor of Manushi[12][13] - a Journal about Women published since 1979. It has been described by Amartya Sen as "a pioneering feminist journal".[22] She is also the Founder President of Manushi Sangathan,[23] a forum for research based activist interventions which works for democratic reforms that promotes greater social justice and strengthen human rights, especially for women.

In 2013, Madhu Kishwar wrote a series of articles titled Modinama (Chronicles of Modi) in her magazine Manushi, where she was critical of the media for their false propaganda about Narendra Modi's role during the Gujarat violence 2002 and in its aftermath.[24] Subsequently, she published the book Modi, Muslims and Media, documenting a similar stance.

Editor of "Manushi"[edit]

Kishwar is founder editor of Manushi[12][13] - a Journal about Women published since 1979. It has been described by Amartya Sen as "a pioneering feminist journal",[25] though Kishwar does not accept this political label and is wary of all "Isms. She has explained her reasons for rejecting "ism" labels inan article entitled "Why I do not call Myself a Feminist.[26][27]

She is Founder President of Manushi Sangathan,[23] registered under the Societies Registration Act, is a forum for research based activist interventions. It works for democratic reforms that will promote greater social justice and strengthen human rights, especially for women. Kishwar’s work with Manushi Sangathan includes:

  • Carrying out investigations on violations of human rights of minority communities and right to livelihood of vulnerable communities and occupational groups;
  • Advocacy for policy and legal reform to free the livelihoods of the self employed poor from harmful statist controls;
  • Provide legal aid for women, including Public Interest Litigation on behalf of vulnerable individuals and groups;
  • Making documentary films as part of advocacy campaigns on issues that require serious policy reform;
  • Ground level research on the gap between the intent and actual impact of various laws enacted for women’s rights and propose workable laws and policy reform for strengthening women’s rights.

Fighting for the downtrodden[edit]

Since the early 1990’s Manushi has been involved in campaigning for economic reforms that will reach the vast majority of our people, the self-employed poor. The hard working traditional producers and entrepreneurs of India have been kept poor through active state interventions that deprive them of their just dues. Through Manushi's research, writings and campaigns Manushi has tried to combat the wrong perception that loosening of government restrictions results in anti-poor policies. Manushi has tried to demonstrate how the still flourishing License-Permit-Raid-Raj continues to keep the livelihoods of the poor in its vicious grip by tying them up in a web of illegality though they are pursuing legitimate and useful occupations.

Manushi's work with street vendors and the cycle rickshaw sector and longstanding engagement with farmers’ movements are all part of a larger endeavour to push for a bottom-up agenda of economic reforms. Kishwar believes that Indian people are perfectly capable of fending for themselves and moving out of the poverty trap if the Government machinery stops harassing them, extracting bribes, depressing incomes and making it impossible to earn an honest living without groveling and other humiliations, including beatings and blackmail.

Physical attack[edit]

The social causes she has taken up was opposed by vested interests and she was attacked by anti-social elements several times.[28]


Works[edit]

  • In Search of Answers: Indian Women's Voices (with Ruth Vanita, Zed Books, 1984). ISBN 0862321786.
  • Gandhi and Women (Manushi Prakashan, 1986). ASIN B0007BRY8S.
  • Women Bhakta Poets : Manushi (Manushi Publications, 1989). ASIN B001RPVZVU.
  • The Dilemma And Other Stories (with Ruth Vanitha, Manushi Prakashan, 1997). ISBN 8186573003.
  • Religion at the service of nationalism and other essays (Oxford University Press, 1998). ISBN 0195641612.
  • Off the Beaten Track: Rethinking Gender Justice for Indian Women (Oxford University Press, 2002). ISBN 0195658310.
  • Deepening Democracy: Challenges of Governance and Globalization in India (Oxford University Press, 2006). ISBN 0195683528.
  • Zealous Reformers, Deadly Laws: Battling Stereotypes (SAGE, 2008). ISBN 0761936378.
  • Modi, Muslims and Media: Voices from Narandra Modi's Gujarat (Manushi Publications, 2014). ISBN 978-81-929352-0-1.[29]

Select List of Book Chapters[edit]

  • "The Daughters of Aryavarta: Women in the Arya Samaj movement, Punjab." Chapter in Women in Colonial India; Essays on Survival, Work and the State, edited by J. Krishnamurthy, Oxford University Press, 1989.
  • "Indian Women: a Decade of New Ferment." Chapter co authored with Ruth Vanita in India Briefings, edited by Marshal M. Boutton and Philip Oldenburg, Westview Press, 1989.
  • "Scattering the Seeds". Chapter in On Being a Teacher, edited by Amrik Singh, Konarak Publishers, New Delhi, 1990.
  • "Some Aspects of Bondage: The Denial of Fundamental Rights to Women." Chapter in Expanding Government Lawlessness and Organised Struggles, edited by A.R. Desai, Popular Prakashan, 1991.
  • "A Horror of Isms." Chapter in The Woman's Question, edited by Marry Evans, Sage Publications, London, 1994.
  • “Begining With Our Own Lives: A Call for Dowry Boycott", chapter in "Dowry & Inheritance", edited by Smt. Basu, Women Unlimited & Kali for Women, New Delhi 2005.
  • “Rethinking Dowry Boycott", chapter in "Dowry & Inheritance", edited by Smt. Basu, Women Unlimited & Kali for Women, New Delhi 2005.
  • “Dowry and Inheritance Rights", chapter in "Dowry & Inheritance” edited by Smt. Basu, Women Unlimited & Kali for Women, New Delhi 2005.
  • Gandhi on Women, in A. Raghuramaraju (ed.), Debating Gandhi – A Reader, New Delhi, Oxford University Press, New Delhi 2006
  • “Initiatives against Dowry Deaths” (with Ruth Vanita) published in Women’s Studies in India: A Reader, 2008 edited by Mary E.John,
  • Chapter on “Women in the Nationalist Movement” Gandhi’s Views on Women's Role in the Struggle for Swaraj”, in National Movement in India – A Reader, edited by Shekhar Bandyopadhyay, Oxford University Press 2009,

Published Research Papers in Journals[edit]

  • “A New Plebiscite Deal for J&K”, Economic and Political Weekly, January 15, 2003
  • “History of Affirmative Action for Women in India”, Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development, Thailand.
  • "Traditional Female Moral Exemplars in India", "Education About Asia”, Vol. 6, No. 3, Winter 2001.
  • "Codified Hindu Law: Myth and Reality", Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. XXIX, No. 33, August 13, 1994.
  • "Violence on Gurupurab in Jammu". (with Smithu Kothari), Economic and Political Weekly, April 15, 1989.
  • "Struggle of Indian Women". Philosophy and Social Action, 14(4), 1988.
  • "The Burning of Roop Kanwar". (with Ruth Vanita), Race and Class, July-Sep., 1988.
  • "The Struggle of Indian Women”. Philosophy and Social Action, 14(4), 1988.
  • "The Daughters of Aryavarta: Women in the Arya Samaj Movement in Punjab", Indian Economic and Social History Review, February 23, 1986.
  • "Arya Samaj and Women’s Education: Case Study of the Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Jalandhar". Economic and Political Weekly, 31(17), 1986.
  • "Gandhi and Women". Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. XX, Nos. 40, & 41, 1985. (This has been translated and published in Telugu as a book.) Reprinted in Race and Class, London, Summer, 1986.

References[edit]

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Video[edit]

External links[edit]

https://swarajyamag.com/blogs/twitters-dhimmitude-how-islamists-use-platform-to-target-madhu-kishwar [archive]