Introduction
Jaspal Kaur Singh paints a picture of what it means to be an Indian/desi woman. Desi is both a noun and an adjective. In this analysis, I use desi as a noun meaning a person of Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi descent – an identity of cultures and traditions, aspects of which are present throughout the poem.
Poem “Indian Woman” takes us on a journey through the life of desi women; it touches upon 3 different stages of identities and feelings that many women of desi culture share. The first stage is the introduction, where the author talks about what essentially makes up desi women’s identities. The second stage is responsibilities and resistance; Singh takes us through the expectations and responsibilities expected of desi women. At some point these responsibilities become too much and women start to resist. The final stage is acceptance and transcendence where desi women go through the process of acceptance and reach the point of their true potential.
Stage 1: Desi Women’s Introduction to the World
Introductions are a way to let ourselves be known to the external world and they were/are/will always be nerve wracking: be it during icebreakers in class or on dates. It usually consists of surface level information about the person with a hint of depth. What we choose to share about ourselves as the first bit of information says a lot. Similarly, in the poem, the author introduces herself and desi women as women “of culture and tradition”(Singh, line 1) ; when self intro equates to setting the scene for culture, it truly grabs the essence of coming/being born into desi culture. Note that Singh omits articles such as ‘a’ and/or ‘the’ before “woman” until the very end which I talk about later(Singh, line 53). This lack of articles is powerful because the author then is able to encompass herself and the group of women she talks about seamlessly.
Singh continues the introduction of herself/desi women/culture as their laps are filled with ‘artifacts and jewels’ which is written quite literally and figuratively; children in many parts of Desi culture are gowned head to toe in gold (necklaces, rings, anklets, bangles etc) (Singh, line 2). Figuratively, gold has weight (it’s a timeless currency) and the weight of the gold symbolizes the constant expectations wrapped around Desi women (doesn’t matter the age) as our “fates [of responsibility and burdens] are etched on [our] bodies” (Singh, line 6).
Stage 2: Desi Women’s Responsibilities Turned Burdens
Jaspal Kaur Singh quite literally starts off stage two with “I am woman heavy and burdened”; the burden is given the image of an octopus – a burden so heavy and tangled by the 8 limbs of “duty” and responsibility (lines 9-10). Singh then demonstrates how she/desi women are expected to serve their duties – who and what desi women have to become metaphorically in order to fulfill the unspoken yet dominating expectations of society. We are expected to take on essential roles of caretaker and teacher while remaining in the background still and “effectively silenced” (line 27).
As is in most cultures, women are expected to naturally be nurturing and caring – so caring that it’s as if women have milk flowing in their veins rather than blood (Singh, lines 11-12). Milk is the food foundation for newborns. The images of milk displays the amount of care in which desi women are expected to have towards everyone- they must nurture everybody as if everybody were their offspring.
Singh describes desi women as teachers as if the “secrets” are their responsibility to share the knowledge. Knowledge of taking care of the house, knowledge of keeping peace, knowledge of love and more. This gives us a glimpse of the unreasonable weight bestowed upon us. Being the “backbone of society” also means to take all the shocks and impacts that come from and/or against the society (44).
Until now, I touched upon the responsibilities that desi women are expected to take up without resisting. But what happens when they no longer have the mental strength to carry the weight of existing as desi women.
What happens when they try to resist and speak up?
The pen may truly be mightier than a sword – which is why women are purposefully silenced and punished to create a system that effectively rids women’s voices.
Jaspal Kaur Singh demonstrates the consequences of resisting:
I am woman effectively silenced
As if to speak is to betray …/…
I am woman who is paid no heed
As if my new voice is irrelevant
The initial reaction of society when women first voice their struggles/burdens/complaints/improvements is the feeling of betrayal (lines 27,28,31,32). This makes perfect sense because in a society where women are supposed to be “nurturing” and “caring”, anything that deviates from those roles comes off as back-stabbing (11-12). It’s like being abandoned by a mother-figure. Moms are supposed to always be there, projecting and supporting their children at all cost, so how can they leave? This is the initial feeling of betrayal society feels which then turns into rage. The culture then reacts to this rage by dismissing and dis-acknowledging (gaslighting) the women’s “new voice” (32). Note the use of the word “new”; this signifies the start of change in the author/desi women.
Resisting is never easy. In this case, the author/desi women’s resistance comes with guilt. This guilt is shown by the author’s/desi women’s lack of belonging as they are “caught between cultures” (33). The goal is not to leave the culture but to improve/update it. However, in the eyes of the culture, attempting to change/resist is “unheeded” (39). The guilt becomes stronger throughout the poem as the author/desi women feel like they are no longer themselves “as if [their] lips have another’s words” (36). The author is in the midst of guilt and transformation; their struggles come to bloom with acceptance. We see the author/desi women coming to a point of acceptance. Acceptance that they are no longer the same as people, that it’s okay to change and that their change wasn’t in “vain” (40).
Stage 3: Transformation Through Acceptance
Jaspal Kaur Singh starts the transformation by recognizing her/women’s position in society as they are the “backbone of [their] community” (line 44). The location of Singh’s phrase “ backbone of [their] society” matters in the poem because of the implicit message it carries. If the line appeared prior, the meaning would be used to show the amount of responsibilities and pressure there exist for her (just like how I used this same line to support my point in stage 2) but here, the line is used as a propeller to transform into their potential. The author/desi women realize that they have power – an immense amount of power thus triggering their transcendence.
“In deep meditation”, the arthur/desi women are finally able to see their worth and value. They are filled with innumerable un-earthly power and “wisdom” as if they’ve been reborn (47, 49). Singh communicates this rebirth as she analogizes herself/desi women to “peepul”, known as the Tree of Life or Ashwattha. This tree is revered in India for its medicinal properties as well as for its spiritual/religious significance. This tree is where Guatam Buddha attained enlightenment in Buddhism and Lords Brahma, Vinushyu and Shiva reside in Hinduism (“Importance of Peepal Tree”). So when the author compares herself and desi women to peepal tree, she compares women to Gods themselves. The analogy continues as Singh metaphorically re-births herself/desi women being “of the New Vedas” (53). Again, this is a jaw dropping statement the author is making the Vedas are the most ancient sacred Hindu scriptures and Singh rejects the Vedas. This is further emphasized by Singh’s article use: “the”; This is the only time Singh used a definitive article as she shares experiences and struggles of desi women in the poem and its use expresses a level of power and impact that has not been asserted previously in the poem. The “new” Vedas will be written with inclusivity and empowerment of women (providing women the equity they need) (53).
Conclusion
Jaspal Kaur Singh concludes or rather reincarnates/connects to herself/desi women through all their previous and future lives to reach a point of enlightenment. What Jaspal shows us isn’t how limited she/desi women are but how overpowered we are.
This poem touched my heart and I speak/write from the lenses of my and my desi peers’, friends’ experiences. No doubt the studies on Desi culture, traditions, diaspora, and identity have been getting more light in recent years and will also share similarities with our experiences.
References
Singh, Jaspal Kaur “I Am Woman” Amritjit Singh (Guesteditor) (2005) Poetry Section, South Asian Review, 26:3, 55-152, DOI: 10.1080/02759527.2005.11932421 pp 69-70
“Importance of Peepal Tree: The Tree of Life.” GaneshaSpeaks, 26 Apr. 2022, https://www.ganeshaspeaks.com/predictions/astrology/significance-of-peepal-tree/.
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