Shaping of Rights: Jati and Gender in Colonial Keralam

Description

The socio-political and cultural atmosphere emerged during the colonial period in Keralam had thoroughly disturbed the traditional caste based society and attempted to refashion it. This period was also a period of crafting the State-Citizen relationship, attempting to annul the traditional state structure, manipulated by jati. The age old jati based polity and socio-cultural norms associated with it were challenged and strong calls for the establishment of rights and duties oriented State structure was aired. Jati and Gender were the arenas which were addressed in these projects of rights’ questions. Articles in this book are attempts to look at the colonial period in Keralam through the spectrum of shaping of individual and collective rights. Author’s Note ...............................................................................(iii) 1. Malayali Hindu Patriarchy: Gender and Jati .........................1 2. Shaping of Rights: State, Jati and Gender ..........................33 3. Right to Eat Together: Episodes of MisArabhojanam in Kerala during Early Decades of Twentieth Century ..................................47 4. Rights for New Believers : The Missionary Engagements ....................................................54 5. Demanding the Rights for Government Jobs: The Memorials ......................................61 6. Rights for Public Spaces: Claims and Struggles for Accessing the Public Roads ...................67 7. Right to Enter the Temples: Claims and Struggles .............85