Crazy Finger, how do I thank you? This is really lovely, and touching.

Eliababu, mohan and Moses, thanks for taking the trouble to come here and leave a message. thanks for your good wishes too

I am always a sucker for a bit of a translation exercise. So I am posting in this comment a translation of your Telugu interview. It is a rough and tumble translation and my Telugu has rusted a lot, rough at best and I am no translator. All mistakes I will conveniently attribute to either you or Miss Nilima…: -)

I followed the paragraph by paragraph format for ease of cross-check, if anybody is so inclined.

Regards, Crazyfinger

–begin xlation—

At 24 years as a reknowned writer…

a publisher/editor, translater, poetess, writer…we can say a lot about Meena Kandasaami as all these. But more important than most we should talk about her as a feminist.

And as a Dalit movement supporter too. That is why while for some she is a role model, for others she is someone hard to get along and agree with. She is one of the 21 writers short-listed in 2007 for the “South Asia Best Women Writers Under 40.” More about her…

By the time she was eighteen Meena, based in Chennai, was already the publisher/editor of “The Dalit” magazine. When “Indian Horizon” association conducted a Pan-India poetry competition on the occasion of International Woman’s Day, Meena Kandasaami’s poem, “Mascara” won first prize, beating out thousands of entries.

The same year her poem, “My Lover Speaks of Rape,” won first prize at the All-India Poetry competition organized by “Disha.” Behind her first poetry compilation, “Touch,” the inspiration for Meena was none other than Ambedkar’s writings. Every word of her poetry is aimed squarely at the higher caste society and at the heart of male chauvinism.

Even now a woman is portrayed as of a “fourth class” in the society and only when the society rids itself of the caste and religious boundaries are women truly liberated, which is why Meena strongly believes that the solution for the women’s issues lie at the heart of the caste wars. When “Navya” met Meena, she shared her thoughts along these lines…

From the time I was a child there was a struggle within me…

I grew up with independent opinions right from the childhood. At that time I didn’t understand why women modified their behavior based on other people’s orders. As I grew older, the desire to figure out the root cause behind such behavior only increased. If I grew to this stature today then the only reason behind it are my mother and father. If they didn’t give me the full freedom then I wouldn’t have gained so much fame. Mother is a mathematics professor at IIT Madras. She even received the “Kalpana Chawla” award from the Tamilnadu government.

She is a translator too. Father is a Tamil professor. For some reason I always thought of class rooms as the centers for discrimination. Especially in language classes, I felt that caste-based discrimnation is intense. The thought that I ought to do something always made me restless. I was always preoccupied with writing something or the other. As a result I got behind in my studies. Gradually I lost interest in my studies. As soon as I completed Intermediate I put an end to my studies. Joined “The Dalit” magazine as an editor and worked there for a year. Then I translated several writings of “Dalit Liberation Party” from Tamil to English.

Along with writings fo Ambedkar I also translated the writings of Tandai Periyar (Dravida Udyama founder Ramaswami Nayakar). That is when my interest in Ambedkar’s writings grew. His writings remain my inspiration. I read a lot. This helped me to comprehend a wide variety of issues.

That’s how all my teenage was spent, searching. At that time as everyone kept saying that it is important for me to get a degree, I completed B.A, and M.A via correspondence course. I think it is more appropriate to say that I studied only during the time of exams. Now I am doing Ph.D program. My research area will be focused primarily on the teaching methods in the Indian class rooms.

Whether a Dalit or a woman…discrimination is the same

In today’s society, a woman and a Dalit occupy the same place. Under these circumstances, as a woman if I there is anything that I can do, then it is to be a feminist. I am proud to say I am a femnist. My path is very clear. As as woman I am using my pen for the cause of women. From the beginning women have fbeen faced with the problem of rights.

No matter how much progress is made in the soceity, women always had to remain one step behind. Even now in remote villages women are suffering and are being oppressed under the orthodoxy. In states such as Bihar, AP and others women are continuously subjected to oppressions similar to Matamma, Jogini. Incidents of abuse and oppression against Dalit women are on the rise. Between 1987 and 2003, 2556 women were slaughtered in the name of their being suspected of witches. From 1991 to now over 200 similar cases have been registered. Just recently in Tamilnadu they are bringing back the practice of “Muttukuricchi” (the practice of relegating women to assigned spaces outside the village during their menstrual period).

Debates on Blogs

On topics such as these I and my friends maintain a feminist blog, “Ultraviolet” on the internet. We discuss mostly the issues of abuse of women here. Over here people can express their opinions. In this way we have an opportunity to bring to light such issues faced not only in our country, but also similar issues that beset other countries.

Even if a few were to comprehend the full extent of these issues, then I would consider my objective fulfilled. It is a welcome development that not only women but men too participate in these blog discussions. There are good and bad things about modern technology. If we use it properly a lot of people can share their opinions. We can eliminate the boundaries between countries. Wherever a woman is oppressed, our voice will rise up against such attacks.

Nilima, Online, Chennai.

ms. meena kandasamy

the whole dalit world and women proud of you.

little bit of sad , i can’t read it , please update this blog

than’q
may god Dr Baba Saheb bless u . all the way.
yohan danday.

i visit your blog.. it is nice… good .

i have no words to appreciating you.

please keep your ideas and thoughts untill we leave the Earth.

in small age you do good job for Dalit…. me also from Dalit family… but i have no awarness on dalit problems… but now i am also show interesting….

thank you….

yours in Ambedkar foot steps…

eliababu sarella
eliababu@gmail.com
http://www.eliababu.blogger.com

First comment here.Settling down - one word that still makes me feel like I have a stone died on my feet despite having settled down! Been there and know what exactly you are talking about. After a few years one realizes job security is not necessarily bad as long as you don’t let it change you! Good luck for the job and hope it helps you in accomplishing all the rest of the things you want out of life!