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Taslima Nasrin-Manushi column-excerpt from The Nation
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Subject: Taslima Nasrin-Manushi column-excerpt from The Nation
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From: V.R.Veluri@mcs.anl.gov (rveluri@anl.gov)
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Date: Fri, 23 Sep 1994 19:10:19 GMT
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Apparently-To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Distribution: World
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Keywords: Bangladesh, Women & Cattle
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: Argonne national laboratory
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Sender: usenet@mcs.anl.gov
>From : V. R. Veluri (rveluri@anl.gov)
Taslima Nasrin recently wrote a column in the Indian feminist
magazine 'Manushi.' In the latest issue of 'The Nation'
( October 3, 1994) an excerpt from that column appeared under
the caption "Women and Cattle." I reproduce the excerpt below.
" ' A lucky man's wife dies; an unlucky man's cattle die '
is an old proverb. It remains a commonplace on the threshold
of the twentyfirst century. If your wife dies, you can get
another wife. But if you lose cattle, you do not get free
cattle. For new cattle you have to pay hard cash, whereas
a new wife brings some cash. You can neglect your wife,
but you should never neglect your cattle. No wonder,
cattle are more valuable than a wife. These days a
Bangladeshi girl is bartered off for six head of cattle
smuggled in from India. Many are shocked at such news.
I am merely surprised. I cannot but rejoice at the rare
good fortune of getting six head cattle in exchange for
a single girl. It is welcome news, because whoever gets
the six head of cattle is making a bigger profit.
Six hefty cattle from India are certainly more attractive,
more productive and more valuable than an undersized
Bangladeshi girl. I think they are rather getting cheated
taking a girl in exchange. Where women are not worth two bits,
they have given women honor by giving six head of cattle
in exchange. I express my gratitude to these cattle-runners.
Our gentlemanly society does not pay any price for women.
It kills the girl-child in the womb. On the other hand,
the smuggler is giving six whole animals in exchange
for one - a poor hapeless girl, at that! They will put her
in the flesh trade. So what? Are not respectable women
being used at the pleasure of respectable men? This is not
a new deceit in a different world. Our respectable women
are given away free, whereas the outcast woman fetches
half a dozen cattle. It would indeed be nice if this raises the
price of women a little."
Taslima Nasrin
( Are things any different in India!
I do not think so!! - V R Veluri)
