Making of ‘Hindu Lady’
Rukhmabai (November 22, 1864-September 25, 1955)
NO is a small word, phonetically speaking. Coming from an 11-year-old, it can feel even more insignificant. For Rukhmabai though, it was the beginning of a crusade that would culminate in one of the earliest triumphs for feminism in modern India. Born in Bombay, Rukhmabai was married off at 11 to 19-year-old Dadaji Bhikaji. Things took a turn when the family did not permit early consummation of the marriage, following which Bhikaji moved into his uncle’s home and fell into wayward ways. Raised by a mother who would take her along to reformist meetings and a physician stepfather, who also leaned towards the modern more than the traditional, Rukhmabai refused to live with a debt-ridden school dropout. During the years that her husband was busy accumulating debt, she got her first taste of education and, in turn, empowerment through books. Her rebellion had begun.
