Browsing by Subject "Readings"
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Item Abuse of Women’s Human Right in Iran: Questioning the Justification of Liberation Narrative in Azar Nafisi’s Memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran(Central Department of English, 2013) Paudel, PrakashIn the aftermath of the 9/11, increased U.S. focus on Iran as a part of the military action dubbed as axis of evil has been justified by some humanitarian acts of defending women’s human rights and liberating them who are living oppressed under Islamic or authoritarian regime. In this context, Nafisi teaches Western literature to let her seven students know about the universality of human rights in general and women’s right in particular. Nafisi’s claim of advocating for women’s right by giving voice to her students is not valid since she has misrepresented them as the most victims in the Islamic regime in Iran who need teaching of Western literature to talk about democracy, freedom and women’s right. So, Nafisi like a typical feminist orientalist that purports to defend freedom, democracy and women’s right but she re-affirms that such values are originated from and accessed through western cultural sources thus is steeped in classic Orientalist stereotypes bolstering the rationale of Western intervention to rescue Muslim women from the repression of Islamic regime.Item Rituals and Power: A Performative Reading of Nepali Dalit Movements(Central Department of English, 2017) Charmakar, Rudra BahadurThis thesis analyses how Dalit Movements in Nepal have used rituals as part of their strategies and how ritual practices make impacts in the movements. As, Nepali society is based on four fold varna system- Brahman, Kshetri, Bhaishya, and Shudra; which has been practicing from 3500 years ago. In course of time, State enacted the legislations, rules and regulations on the basis of misinterpretations of Vedas, Puranas, and Hindu religious books and imposed discriminatory social hierarchy in the society. According to varna system, Shudras are supposed to have come at the bottom of the hierarchy; and, they have to bear the discrimination, suppression, oppression, boycott, exclusion, hatred, and negligence from the society. They have been discriminated more in ritual and cultural sectors. Consequently, Dalit movements from the inception adopted the cultural and ritual practices as methods such as chanting the mantras and richas, from religious books; reciting the mandal, and suktas from Vedas and Puranas; performing the ritual and cultural activities in the temples and sacred places; placing the tulsi-moth and temple nearby homes etc. The movements raised the issues for equality, dignity and social liberation in 1940s; however, it got a new height after 1990. It is believed that the ritual and cultural practices have power to overcome the problems. So, Dalit also thought that they have received the power and inspiration from Gods and Goddesses by performing ritual and religious activities. After the political changes of 1990, Dalit movements have amended some agenda and demands; and changed the procedures as well. As a result, they gained some historical achievements within few decades. Hence, by looking at the scenario of Dalit movements from ritual and performative perspectives; there is power, enthusiasm and inspiration in ritual practices which give success, happiness and satisfaction to the performers.