18/03/2026
The Department of Women and Gender Studies and The Department of English, Savitribai Phule Pune University, on 12th March, 2026, jointly organized an illuminating conversation titled ‘The Search For Our Activist Pasts’ with the feminist writer, publisher, activist, and Padma Shri Urvashi Butalia.
The conversation centred on tracing the histories of women’s movements- some that came about by challenging the patriarchy in left movements and others that were located in the ordinary, in the everyday. From the Therigatha poems, Mukta Salve’s essay to the book ‘Sharir ki jaankari,’ she spoke about the role of such literature in making the voices from the margins heard and reshaping the women’s movements.
She narrated several stories, among which was the story of Satyarani Bala who fought against dowry deaths. Butalia’s changing understanding of research, its impact on people’s lives and the role of the researcher allowed her to appreciate the contributions of such women who may not have seen justice in their own lives, but managed to mobilise many for the cause of women’s freedom.
She also opened up about her emotional journey in writing ‘The Other Side of Silence,’ speaking about the heavy responsibility of being the custodian of people’s stories. Thus memory and oral narratives, according to her, become useful tools for not only making more voices heard, but also for documenting alternative histories of significant events like the Partition.
Many students enthusiastically asked her questions about research methodologies, research ethics, the voice of the researcher, the discomfort of emotions and subjectivity in research, and the politics of translation and she highlighted the need to engage with research methods like oral narratives, and to use the voice of the researcher responsibly to center the power dynamics and emotional burdens inherent in the process of research.
To know more about such events follow us on
Instagram:
LinkedIn: Department of Women and Gender Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University https://www.linkedin.com/in/department-of-women-and-gender-studies-savitribai-phule-pune-university-1318563b6?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_android
