by BHAKTI BAPAT MATHEW
Motherhood has always been idolized in India. In most Bollywood movies, the mother of the protagonist is an ocean of love and sacrifice. She is usually portrayed as a sexless figure, (despite evidence to the contrary!), proud of her son and worshipped by her progeny. Postpartum depression was virtually unheard of in India until fairly recently. This was not because Indian women had superpowers that saved them from post-baby blues, but having a baby – strictly after marriage – was supposed to be the dream of every woman. It was unfathomable to India’s patriarchal society how a woman could be depressed after such a wish had come true.
A new book published earlier this year seeks to redress this one-sided view of motherhood in India. The anthology Of Mothers and Others: Stories, Essays, Poems (Publisher: Zubaan India), edited by Indian author Jaishree Misra, was conceived at an event organized by the nonprofit Save the Children. At this event, Misra was presented with what she describes as “shocking pictures about the ongoing issue of maternal and child mortality in India.” When asked to make a pledge to their campaign, Misra promised to write a book that would highlight the problems faced by many mothers in India.
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