Education of Women in West Bengal (1947-2011) Reflected in Literatures: Few Sources/ সাহিত্যের আলোকে পশ্চিমবঙ্গে নারীশিক্ষা (১৯৪৭-২০১১) : কয়েকটি সূত্র

Abstract

Today access to education is offered to people from all strata of society in West Bengal. Both the union government and the state government took up the development and expansion of women’s education at all stages as a special scheme since independence. I will attempt to show the conditions of women in higher education in West Bengal as reflected in Bengali literatures. The picture of higher education of women is reflected in contemporary Bangla literature. We know that literature is the reflection of human activities. We can cite some important contemporary novels to understand how higher education of women is highlighted. These novels show us the status of women in higher education in West Bengal. The memoir Sreesadaner Sreematira, written by Reeta Basu, is the reflection of the school hostel of girls, established by Rabindranath Tagore in Santiniketan. We can understand the mentality of the parents of women as well as women’s education at the time of 1960s and 1970s from her writings. The novel Ekushe Pa, written by Bani Basu, is the story of West Bengal during 1980s and 1990s. The author told the story of a band of youth, who entered the college for undergraduate studies at the age of eighteen years and graduated at the age of twenty one years. Even, after marriage the situation worsened. Bani Basu in another novel, Amrita, portrayed the situation. We can discuss another novel, in where we find another picture of the presence of women in higher education scenario of the state. The novel Jalchhabi written by Suchitra Bhattacharya is the reflection of the college education and struggle of women who had achieved service in schools by the School Service Commission. The novelist showed the complexities of continuing domestic duties and works of public domain, which women had to face. We would also see that the people gradually understood the benefits of higher education. Hence more girls’ students were engaged in higher education day after day. The enrolment of students including girls’ students was rising step by step.