By Zubaan
Zubaan's Poster Women Project
A major challenge to the women's movement has come from what is
known as identity politics, that is, politics based on the question of mainly
religious identity.
Religion and Communalism 10Zubaan
In a country like India where people are deeply religious, the politicizing of
religion, and its instrumental use to target minority communities and gain
votes, has led to several complex realities. As parties of the religious right
have gained ground in India, they have begun to recruit increasing
numbers of women. And women, in turn, have eagerly embraced the party
ideology, no matter that it may be patriarchal, and indeed regressive for
them. Thus, when the campaign on religion and communalism began, one
of its key messages was that all religions are patriarchal. Also, women
activists within the movement have been concerned at the increasing
participation of women in violent sectarian campaigns that target men and
women of the other religion. Similarly in areas of armed conflict and
political violence, women have often espoused causes that have no space
for them in their ultimate goals, but that make use of them as actors in the
path towards achieving these goals.
This poster uses a poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz to raise the issue of polarisation on grounds of religious identity.
Source: Voluntary Health Association of India
Location: New Delhi, Delhi
Language: Hindi
Religion and Communalism 03Zubaan
"Why do people harass other people, stab them and burn them alive?
Because they are divided by caste, religion, money, work and gender
Children and women constitute the larger section of victims of violence because women are a property of men, caste and religion.
We do not want violence, we want peace. We do not want discrimination, we want unity."
Source: Aalochana
Location: Pune, Maharashtra
Language: Marathi
Religion and Communalism 11Zubaan
"Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian – all religions keep women in subjugation."
Source: Kali for Women, Saheli
Artist: Sheba Chhachhi
Location: New Delhi, Delhi
Language: Urdu
Religion and Communalism 02Zubaan
While the participation of women in the violent politics of religion has been a cause of concern, the campaign has also focused on demanding egalitarian and gender- inclusive laws.
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This poster shows how religions and religious texts all weigh women down.
Source: Asian’s Women’s Forum, FAO, FFHC
Location: New Delhi, Delhi
Language: English
Religion and Communalism 08Zubaan
Lines from a popular song sung by political activists that bring attention to the exploitation of religion by political forces.
Source: Pune Citizens’ Initiative
Artist: Kabir Kala Manch
Location: Pune, Maharashtra
Language: Hindi
Religion and Communalism 01Zubaan
Religion and Communalism 12Zubaan
A poster on the communalisation of Gujarat and the need to work for peace.
Source: Saheli
Location: New Delhi, Delhi
Month/Year: February, 2002
Language: English
Religion and Communalism 07Zubaan
A poster from Gujarat that vividly captures the horror of communal violence.
Provenance Unknown
Location: Gujarat
Language: Gujarati
Translation: People suffer many hardships to build their homes from scratch. But you don't show any mercy when you burn down hundreds of these homes.
Religion and Communalism 05Zubaan
"Communal riots condemn women to a life of silence, suffocation and bondage."
Source: Provenance Unknown
Location: Gujarat
Language: Gujarati
Religion and Communalism 06Zubaan
"Take our temples, take our mosques, but don’t play with our blood."
Provenance Unknown
Location: Gujarat
Language: Gujarati
Religion and Communalism 04Zubaan
Poster positing humanity against religion.
Provenance unknown
Location: Gujarat
Language: Hindi
Religion and Communalism 13Zubaan
Source: Jagori, Sangat
Location: New Delhi, Delhi
Language: English, Hindi, Urdu
Concept and Art: Bindiya Thapar, Kamla Bhasin
Religion and Communalism 09Zubaan
"Down with communalism"
Source: All India Democratic Women's Association
Location: Uttar Pradesh
Language: Hindi
The Poster Women Project (www.posterwomen.org) created by Zubaan
Zubaan is an independent feminist publishing house based in New Delhi with a strong academic and general list. It was set up as an imprint of India’s first feminist publishing house, Kali for Women, and carries forward Kali’s tradition of publishing world quality books to high editorial and production standards. Zubaan means tongue, voice, language, speech in Hindustani. Zubaan publishes in the areas of the humanities, social sciences, as well as in fiction, general non-fiction, and books for children and young adults under its Young Zubaan imprint.
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