Gender Studies Deserve a Fair Deal

Manveen Sandhu is the author of Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Personalitas Extraordinaire. While doing research on the book, she learnt about the significance of Moran in the life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. She had gathered so much information on her, that according to Aruti Nayar, if someone refers to her, then Manveen narrates numerous episodes on Moran and can talk on and on.

Manveen Sandhu herself remarked, “The character of Moran played hide and seek with me while I was researching my book on the maharaja.”

Moran, The Mystery Woman, which had appeared in The Spectrum, dated August 24, 2008, is based on a narrative by Manveen Sandhu and as listened by Aruti Nayar, is mainly a report on the incidences related to Moran.

The gender studies is now an important subject in history. However, one of the major hurdle related to gender studies is the scarcity of the sources. Geraldin Forbes, who had written Women in Modern India had referred to this problem in emphatic words. She had also pointed out in one of her interview that when she was about to start her research, she was discouraged by others by directing her attention to the scarcity of sources. Then, she had demonstrated in the book itself that how she had overcome that shortcoming. She was able to collect material on Tarabai, mother of Raja Rammohan Rai, from the writings of Raja Rammohan Rai and episode related to mother son relations. In the above mentioned report also, something similar has been reported. The female characters play hide and seek in the available sources. It is for the scholar to hold their hand and pull them out in open. Hence, this report is made a part of noting on this blog.

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It is reposting of the similar post which appears on History in News, an associated blog.