Let me confess right away, that to support each and every woman is not my kind of feminism. It is not that every woman who is successful, in a position of power and enable to exercise her choice becomes an icon by the virtue of her sex.

India’s modern history is replete with outstanding women who are regarded as representative symbols, but the country has also had women like the late Prime Minister who, during her lifetime, posed the “greatest threat to democracy” and weakened the constitutional guarantees that had been so painstakingly established and nurtured.

The inclusion of famous women from Indira Gandhi to writer-activist Mahesweta Devi within the pages of the same book, under the disturbing title, Freeing the Spirit: Iconic Women of Modern India, hardened my belief that if powerful women, like powerful men, have the right to be wrong, then they have to be held accountable for their wrongs as well. No double standards; it only weakens the struggles and achievements of those women who do make a positive difference.

Diverse worlds

The women, both dead and living, who have been cited in this book edited by Malvika Singh, have been selected from the diverse worlds of politics, art, industry and social activism. Many of the legendary figures written about have overcome innumerable restrictions imposed on them and have defied the roles carved out by society for them.

The lives of many are tales of hope and triumph from which generations of women can draw inspiration.

The essays are a mixed bag, ranging from being delightful and informative to banal or merely hagiographic. Some of the writers are journalists who have tracked the career of political leaders, interviewed and interacted with them over years. Sunil Khilnani’s ‘Looking for Indira Gandhi’ does not disappoint: it is both insightful and incisive.

Without being vicious, he does not mince words. Sikha Trivedi’s ‘Breaking the Status Quo’ helps us understand Mayavati’s recent phenomenal victory despite her lack of political heritage, charisma or oratorical skills that many of the other women leaders possess.

On the other hand, Tarun Tejpal’s rhetorical adulation of Sonia Gandhi is embarrassing (“She a moral luster not seen in Indian political life for a long time” and again, “ Her (Sonia Gandhi) triumph is a lesson in the virtue of endeavour. The splendour of action. Better still, as the scriptures tell us, detached action.”) and completely ignores her accession, post-Rajiv Gandhi, on male martyrdom.

Most of the pieces are written by people who knew the women closely and have followed their work diligently. Shubhashini Ali traces nostalgically how her beautiful, carefree mother, Lakshmi Sahgal, became the commander of the women’s wing of the Indian National Army.

Mahesweta Devi’s personality— committed, unpredictable, funny— comes alive under Ganesh Devy, a tribal activist himself. Pick up the book to read some chapters and skip a few others without any great loss.

Freeing the Spirit: The Iconic Women of Modern India. Edited by Malvika Singh. Penguin Books. Price 399