Apathy towards Aged Women- Socio-Political Voices in Mahasweta Devi’s Old Women

Abstract

Mahasweta Devi is a reputed Bengali writer and influential social activist. The Jnanpith awardee devotes her time studying and writing about the struggles faced by the tribal communities. Her works raised voice against the mute sufferings of the subalterns in the postcolonial milieu. One of her finest literary contributions is the collection Old Women- a collection of two short stories Statue and The Fairy Tale of Mohanpur. Both stories have old women as protagonists whose fate is to endure alienation and apathy. Liberation and empowerment of women remains a fairy tale even after the freedom of the country. Family and society play a pivotal role in their estrangement. A peaceful retirement in old age is still a distant dream of these characters. They are constantly muddled in poverty, indifference and ostracism. This paper tries to review the socio-political clutches which entangle women and ostracize them with apathetic attitude.