Interview with Lakshmi Devi

A1 (LAKSHMI DEVI): In my family I have my mother and father-in-law, elder brother of my husband, and my elder brother's wife.

Q2 (INTERVIEWER): In which village were you born?

A2 (LAKSHMI DEVI): In Bhagwanpur. It is at Mandeshvari. I have five brothers. My father remarried when my mother died when I got married. He has two sons from his second marriage. My three brothers and I are from the first wife. I was 18 when I got married.

Q3 (INTERVIEWER): Please tell us something about the life of women here. What are they like? What do they do?

A3 (LAKSHMI DEVI): They are nice. We have to take care of the kids, feeding them, sending them to school, etc. Also serving our mother and father-in-law. There is nothing preventing me from going out. I go out whenever I feel like walking around. My Sas and Sasur allow me to. There are no restrictions. I can also go to my parental home whenever I want and come back (unescorted).

Q4 (INTERVIEWER): Please tell me something about marriage.

A4a (LAKSHMI DEVI): The groom's family has to O.K. the girl. In marriage Kanyadan (the gift of a virgin) is done--the girl's hand is given in marriage. One who givers her hand away fasts on that day. Only the next morning after the Kanyadan will he or she break the fast. Kanyadan can be done by any senior relative, even uncles and aunts. If someone comes to see my son for marriage and if they like him they will check out the boy. Usually matching social and educational background is sought in arranged marriage.

A4b (SARASWATI DEVI): In the same way you are interviewing us.

A4c (LAKSHMI DEVI): The Cheka ceremony rings are exchanged. I do the fast of Thursday during which yellow clothes are worn, yellow flowers are offered and "yellow" food is eaten, for example Halwa--made of chickpea flower. Every Thursday we do this fast. You fast in the day and you can only drink tea in the morning, and in the evening only sweet food can be eaten. No salt is eaten on that day.

Q5 (INTERVIEWER: What's the benefit of fasting?

A5a (LAKSHMI DEVI): (laughing) There is no benefit as such.

A5b (SARASWATI DEVI): God will remain pleased with us.

A5c (LAKSHMI DEVI): Yeah, he will. One's psyche/heart will find peace--that's it.

A5d (SARASWATI DEVI) fasting also keeps you fit.

A5e (LAKSHMI DEVI): (laughing), yes it does.

Q6 (INTERVIEWER): Please tell us something about this village.

A6 (LAKSHMI DEVI): The only special thing here is the Abode of Shastri Brahm . It is the abode of a dead Brahmin . People go there for darshan and we go as well. Our father-in-law is a priest there. Pilgrims come there and when they happen to be clients of our father-in-law we women are required to look after all their needs--feeding them, giving them a bed to sleep on--since they stay with us. The stay for days of Navratri and these nine days are very tiring for us.

Q7 (INTERVIEWER): How did India become free?

A7 (LAKSHMI DEVI): What freedom ( Azadi )? We are free in our household but not everyone is. Our family allows us the freedom to educate our children as we wish, as much as we wish but there are no proper educational facilities here--for example, if a boy want to go to a gym then there is no gym here. Kids here have nothing to learn, no place to learn. If my daughter wants to learn how to sow, she will have to go to Bhabhua. And there are not even buses to go there. We are stuck here. All we can learn is what is available here and remain content with that. There is nothing in the village, except love. No one to even make us laugh but even here the atmosphere is becoming less friendly. People don't help each other so much any more. They refuse to admit that they have any skill, because they are afraid that they might have to help someone. In some places, o the other hand, neighbors pitch in to help if there is a wedding in your family but not in this village. People here have feeling of solidarity, where is my natal village things are different.