Volga, the author of the Telugu feminist literature, has images and ideals which have fought against the internalisation and perpetuation of castes and their associated oppression, including patriarchy. Volga, also known as Popuri Lalita Kumari, is a prominent feminist Telugu author and poet. Born in the year 1950, she has rewritten myths and epics from women’s point of view. Her personal experiences and the socio-political context of her time define her work as she attempts to explain women’s challenges and experiences, pushing the readers to rethink the typical roles that society dictates.

‘Vimukta’ by Volga is a Telugu work of literature that boldly explores and critiques the Ramayana, a Hindu epic, amplifying women’s voices instead of confining them within socially given boundaries. ‘Vimukta’ presents a narrative of women’s liberation that is powerfully practised and inspiring showcasing women’s immense self-determination and independence. The book ‘Vimukta’ looks at Sita’s role, not just as Rama’s devoted wife, but as a woman of extraordinary strength and determination. In ‘Vimukta’, Sita is not a mere pawn in the grand drama of the epic; she begins to carve her destiny. Her exile becomes a journey of self-discovery and liberation, unveiling her endurance and strength and earning admiration and respect from the audience. Her bravery and resilience in the face of adversity inspire and empower all women, encouraging them to assert their agency and challenge societal norms.

‘Vimukta ‘, is not just a novel. It is a battleground, a declaration of agency and liberty for all women. Surpanakha, known for her vicious beauty, is a seductive woman scorned, misunderstood, evil, and a figurine of betrayal. It has been centuries since Ahalya turned into stone. She is no longer silent but rallies back to control her abilities. Majestic Renuka and intriguing Urmila are lesser-known characters, each contributing their fights, victories and stories to the more incredible story. Reimagining these well-known tales is about facing challenges, finding oneself, and breaking free from the shackles of patriarchy. This is to say that women, despite the odds against them, are not voiceless and do not need to walk a marginalised race.

Reading ‘Vimukta’ in a Gender and Society class was particularly enlightening as it provided a unique perspective on how society normalises gender through culture and storytelling. The stories in ‘Vimukta’ about women like Sita, Surpanakha, Ahalya, Renuka and Urmila all depict women standing up to societal norms, a key theme in our course.’ Vimukta’ aligns with West and Zimmerman’s thesis that women can also perform gender roles in ways that challenge stereotypical interpretations. As depicted in the book, women assert their agency by taking control of their lives and refusing to conform to masculine ideals, thereby affirming their gender identity. Moreover, Volga’s body of work is practically relevant to the feminist ideas discussed in the course. By reinterpreting this ancient myth in a new light, ‘Vimukta’ exposes the patriarchy underlying patronising accounts and offers a blueprint for writing such radical stories. This approach resonates with Dorothy Smith’s standpoint theory, which sought to study society and its structures from the perspective of oppressed individuals, such as women. The feminist perspective in literature, as exemplified in ‘Vimukta’, is crucial in challenging societal norms and promoting gender equality, enlightening and empowering its readers by offering a new perspective on gender and society.

This is another book where the author, Volga, conveys the story of Sita through herself. She presents herself as Maa Sita’s assistant in one of her past lives. This book narrates Ramayana from a feminist perspective and successfully conveys Sita’s choices and the gaps the original Ramayana could not fill.

My mind was often bombarded with thoughts whenever I read, listened to or heard Ramayana about the hypocrisy of love, identity, liberation, and empowerment. Was Rama’s love so faint that Sita left the Rajyam (Kingdom) and left to the forests? This book, however, has a retelling that covers the gaps I always had. This book presents Sita’s retreat into the woods as one involving both spiritual and karmic reasons that are influenced by both personal growth and the societal pressures faced by Rama. This separation depicted the themes of liberation, feminine strength, and spiritual evolution and, most importantly, showed the autonomy of women’s agency when Sita insisted on going separate from Rama for several reasons, one of which is Rishi Bhrigu’s connection to Maa Sita’s past life actions. Another one was Sita’s conscious choice to retreat to the ashram even after being aware of her pregnancy. She wanted to raise her kids in the ashram(Rama used to visit Sita), fulfil her dharma and contribute to her spiritual growth as an individual and not as somebody who abides by the patriarchal constructs of society( viewing a wo(men) underscored by the term men). Now, this is a story for next time. In short, Volga’s work is not about an individual event or story but about the karmic events that play a role in Sita’s life and spiritual growth. It portrays women’s strength, courage, love, and determination to acquire agency through the analogy of Sita’s life.

There are many reasons for my choice to review the book for the course on Gender and Society. To begin with, I found Volga’s ‘Vimukta’ to be of great interest because it was about women claiming their agency. After becoming pregnant, Sita’s choice to remain in the ashram instead of returning to Rajyam (kingdom) is a sign of women’s self-reliance. Surpanakha, Ahalya, Renuka, and Urmila’s tales fit well with the feminist theories that we have been taught in class. Surpanakha, after being disfigured, reconstructs her self-image by growing a beautiful garden to assist her psychological healing. Ahalya is punished for the behaviour she did not partake in, and only through Rama and personal reflections was she able to break the chains. Renuka teaches Sita to realise how flimsy the loyalties of society are, making her want to embrace liberty, even if it is only for a harmless lust. Urmila, left behind by Lakshmana, chooses not to continue with the feeling of holding onto him in search of peace. These women were portrayed as narrators of their stories, bringing out the aspects of self-determination, autonomy, and independence, which are significant in this course, as most feminist theories. ‘Vimukta’ is a substantial and engaging text in the context of our course, as it provides a unique perspective on gender and society and challenges traditional gender roles and societal norms.

My interest in sisterhood and women’s unity is also why I chose it. This initiative to support women is similar to the feminist ideologies I have encountered. Through recounting women’s tales in different situations, they came together to aid each other and enhance their standing. Surpanakha, who has been harmed and disgraced, now bonds with Sita. Her strength and resilience inspire Sita. Ahalya pours most of her wisdom to Sita. She teaches Sita how important it is to know oneself (personal reflection) and relate with other women. Renuka’s story of harsh punishment demonstrates why ties between women are essential. She encourages Sita to pursue her path rather than conform to societal expectations. Urmila, who has spent years alone, shares her views with Sita. She believes women can alter the world and break free when they bond.

Volga’s  ‘Vimukta’ made sense since it challenges patriarchal standards consistent with the feminist principles I have studied, including those of Judith Butler and Simone de Beauvoir. The stories of Surpanakha, Ahalya, Renuka, and Urmila in ‘Vimukta’ depict women claiming their agency while rejecting society’s definition of their agency. Surpanakha, frequently portrayed as a villain, regains her pride by rejecting the beauty standards that earlier defined her. Ahalya, punished for something she did not want to do, raises complex concerns regarding the concept of purity and men’s authority over women’s bodies. Renuka’s unjust execution by her son demonstrates how flimsy the standards are for remaining faithful to your spouse, prompting Sita to reject these oppressive traditions. The fact that Urmila has chosen to stay alone disproves the perspective that positions a woman’s value in her husband rather than in herself. Patriarchy refers to a set of social norms and values that privilege men and restrict women’s opportunities and rights; fighting against such norms is necessary for gender equity.

Finally, it addressed inner transformations related to feminist notions about personal and societal change, which I am interested in. The narratives of Surpanakha, Ahalya, Renuka and Urmila further advance that internal reflection goes beyond the aspirations of their cultural circumstances. Surpanakha seeks to recover and find her true self, moving away from a cruel search for revenge towards peace within herself. Consequently, Ahalya, once subjected to a curse, was set free after she began to appreciate and acknowledge herself. Renuka’s life serves as a motivating force for Sita, who then rejects the idea of trying to please men and losing herself in the process and chooses to know more of herself – Urmila, after years of contemplation, was able to alleviate herself and learn the strength of self-examination, development and individuality.

Looking at this narrative, I realised another essential perspective we often overlook: i.e. caste.  B.R. Ambedkar has rightly pointed out that caste forces social exclusion, and women from marginalised classes are usually at the burnt end of this exclusion. As in the case of Vimukta, Ahalya’s curse can be viewed through the lens of caste and gender oppression. Just as lower caste women are oppressed in society for reasons that are beyond their control and just as they lack an opportunity to voice out their opinions, Ahalya was also cursed for reasons that are beyond her control. This shows the dual oppression that women face: both caste and patriarchy.

Moreover, their tales of resistance and suffering are often overlooked in a male-dominated society. Ahalya’s redemption by Rama also highlights how marginalized women are expected to be uplifted through external forces like male intervention, reflecting the limited agency available to lower caste women. Caste enhances the already existing marginalisation that women face through the involvement of societal structures. Ambedkar furthers this by highlighting that caste places additional problems on women by tying their value to the preservation of caste purity. I have also heard since childhood that “women are the gatekeepers of the society”, and their way of life affects the society. Hence, they become the targets for maintaining the culture. Take, for example, the Manusmriti, the Hindu text which codifies the societal and gender roles for individuals in society based on their class and caste. Manusmriti denies women’s agency and confines them to domestic roles rather than letting them have a voice for women and also subjecting them to the control of male domination. Lower caste women face the worst of harsh treatment, including physical and sexual harassment by upper caste men, and it is still accepted. One can observe a significant commonality between these two texts. Manusmriti, Ramayana, or even for that sake, Mahabharata were all written by Manu, Valmiki and Vyasa, respectively, from a male perspective and by males. This also shows the reason why women lacked agency in these narrations. This is visible in Ahalya’s curse, where she is punished for something over which she does not have control and is blamed.

In essence, I picked ‘Vimukta’ for the reflexive essay piece of a book from our vernacular literature when my Professor Ishita Dey asked for it because it links abstract feminist theories to women’s real-life experiences shown in cultural storytelling. This initiation of my professor Ishita Dey to engage with a vernacular text in a class of students from different places is very interesting and also at the same time vital as it helps individuals to discuss and connect with different people and their contexts and also transgresses the borders that are socially created in the fight for resistance for women agency and identity. This task has helped me grasp how to use concepts from Butler, Simone de Beauvoir, and others to reimagine classic stories in ways that give women greater power and call into question the long-held gender norms that are unconsciously rooted in our mind structures. The book demonstrates how we may utilise literature to criticise society from a feminist perspective and effect change, which is helpful for my studies in gender and culture.

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Karri Neha is currently pursuing a Master’s in Sociology from South Asian University (SAU), New Delhi.