by DR. SAROJINI SAHOO
The ideas of first-wave feminism were supported by Kuntala Kumari Sabat, Sarala Devi, Reba Ray, and Bidyutprabha Devi in the colonial period, but even now these ideas are making the impression of feminism in Oriya Literature. Here, the name Simone De Beauvoir is commonly uttered, but her ideas have not been discussed or followed in any significant way. Beauvoir first elaborately described the gender role and problem away from the biological differences in her book The Second Sex. Later, Judith Butler explored the gender problem in queer theory and the West experienced a new ‘third gender’ coming into existence. This does not mean that there was no description of sexuality in earlier literature. But to deal with female sexuality and to write with a sex-positive outlook are two different things. This truth has not been clear to these Oriya writers until now.
In Orissa, Durga Puja is the season for publishing special issues of literary magazines. The Puja issues of such magazines have been suddenly burdened with ‘feminism’ in 2010. The magazine Saamna described its Puja special as a feminism issue and has gathered a lot of writings with confusing attitudes. The editorial itself is a piece of misogynist writing. Istahar, another academic literary journal brought out two essays on female writers and feminism, where both essayists, Kabita Barik and Banchhanidhi Das, have no clear idea of feminism.
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