Selections from the Secluded Ones
Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain

Here are selected reports from Rokeya's famous book The Secluded Ones. Her sarcasm of the Muslim women in seclusion is depicted in words strong enough to shake the roots of age old values.

Author's Introduction:

For a long time, we have been used to seclusion. Therefore, we - especially I myself - had nothing in particular to say against seclusion. If one asks a fisherman, Does rotten fish smell good or bad to you? how would she answer that?

I am presenting the reports of a few incidents to my sisters for their reviewing - I hope they would find them interesting.

It is necessary to mention here that all over India seclusion is observed, not only against men but also against women outside one's own family. No women, except the closest relations and housemaids, is allowed to see an unmarried girl.

Married women also hide themselves from gypsy women and such other professional itinerant performers and entertainers. Among women, whoever succeeds in hiding most in the corner like an owl proves thereby to be the most aristocratic by breeding.

Even wealthy urban women run away from the sight of English missionary women. Let alone English women, even the sight of Christian or Hindu women (though is saris but not veiled) would drive them to the safety of their locked bedrooms.

Report One

A long time ago, the daughters of the zeminder of Pairaband, a village in the district of Rangpur (Rokeya's natal village) were performing the ritual ablutions prior to the zohr (midday) prayers. All of them were through except Miss A. who was in the middle of the ritual. Her personal maid, Altar Ma was pouring the water on her palms from a metal pitcher. Suddenly a tall and stout Kabuli woman walked through the back entrance of the inner courtyard. Alas! What a stir! The water pitcher dropped from Altar Ma's inert fingers - she started screaming - Alas! Where did this fellow come from? The woman laughed and protested. "Fellow? Which fellow are you talking about? I am a woman." Miss A ran for her dear life and managed to reach her aunt's room. Out of breath, she tremblingly blurted out, "Aunty, a woman in trousers is here!" The lady of the house was startled and asked, "Has she seen you?" Miss A, reduced to tears, nodded yes. The other women in the meantime stopped their prayers and rushed to shut all the doors to prevent the Kabuli woman from seeing the other girls of the family. From the speed and urgency with which they locked the doors one would have assumed that a wild tiger was loose in the courtyard.

Report Eight

Once, a house caught fire. The mistress of the house had the presence of mind to collect her jewelry in a handbag and hurry out of the bedroom. But at the door, she found the courtyard full of strangers fighting the fire. She could not come out in from of them. So she went back to her bedroom with the bag and hid under her bed. She burned to death but did not come out. Long live purdah!

Report Fourteen

The following incident happened about twenty-two years ago. An aunt, twice removed of my husband, was going to Patna from Bhagalpor; she was accompanied by her maid only. At Kiul railway junction, they had to change trains. While boarding the train, my aunt-in-law stumbled against her voluminous burqa and fell on the railway track. Except her maid, there was no woman at the station. The railway porters rushed to help her up but the maid immediately stopped them by imploring in God's name not to touch her mistress. She tried to drag her mistress up by herself but was unable to do so. The train waited for only half an hour but no more.

The Begum's body was smashed - her burqa torn. A whole stationful of men witnessed this horrible accident - yet none of them was permitted to assist her. Finally her mangled body was taken to a luggage shed. Her maid waited piteously. After eleven hours of unspeakable agony she died. What a gruesome way to die!

Source:
Sultana's Dream and Selections from the Secluded Ones, Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
Edited and Translated by Roushan Jahan, Steps Towards Development