What do you think?
Rate this book
Fearless Freedom
'Safety' for women in India is, more often than not, coded as curtailment of autonomy. To be 'safe', women are told they must allow themselves to be kept under constant surveillance. Their movement is restricted to specific spaces, often homes and hostels. Extreme levels of control are exercised to confine their mobility.
But is freedom really incompatible with safety? In this ground-breaking and radical book, Kavita Krishnan locates the personal and political repercussions of erasing women from public spaces. She argues that many real and violent threats to female autonomy are, in fact, hidden in plain sight. Often challenging conventional wisdom, this is a blazing, fiery manifesto for greater equality, political and economic independence, and, most of all, personal freedom.
But is freedom really incompatible with safety? In this ground-breaking and radical book, Kavita Krishnan locates the personal and political repercussions of erasing women from public spaces. She argues that many real and violent threats to female autonomy are, in fact, hidden in plain sight. Often challenging conventional wisdom, this is a blazing, fiery manifesto for greater equality, political and economic independence, and, most of all, personal freedom.
264 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2019
27 people are currently reading
646 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 12, 2020
I pointed my proudly misogynistic friend to some excerpts from this book. He not only found them interesting but he kept on reading several more pages before he reluctantly gave the book back to me. Although it didn't suddenly make him a feminist, this book still sparked some interesting conversations between us about women's autonomy and the need for feminism in India. 'Fearless Freedom' is well argued, compassionate and has a healthy balance of statistics and anecdotes to keep the pages turning.
October 7, 2020
TW: Might make you think outside your comfort zone.
Fearless Freedom is a revolutionary eye opener that brings to light the plight of women (all women irrespective of age, religion, caste, political affiliation etc) in the crucible that is our country.
What was Fearless Freedom to me?
A book that reflects Kavita's passion that takes on the shape of a metaphorical hand that slaps away the blinders and shows the country for what it really is.
A book that is evenly balanced out with numbers and statistics to act as the foundation for the powerful questions that are raised.
A book that brings to light several instances and connects them to explain the agenda hidden behind their occurrence.
A book that argues for the progression and autonomy of women that has been denied for so long in the name of religion, caste, humility, labour and even cheap politics.
A book that serves as the third eye, to fuel fury towards gender based, religion based, caste based crimes that have had no reason than the power hungry nature of man to happen.
A book that me, you and everyone else should read for our collective growth towards a true democracy and break the mask of falseness behind the words 'Unity in Diversity'.
This book is one among the most important books I read this year and has given me a huge magnitude of depth to an inherent vision. With the dreadful things happening across the country, it is imperative that we pick up this tome and arm ourselves to fight against those who aim to be the next Hitlers and Mussolinis of today's India.
Please read it. Educate yourself. We are the next level of change this world needs. Lets make it a positive one.
Fearless Freedom is a revolutionary eye opener that brings to light the plight of women (all women irrespective of age, religion, caste, political affiliation etc) in the crucible that is our country.
What was Fearless Freedom to me?
A book that reflects Kavita's passion that takes on the shape of a metaphorical hand that slaps away the blinders and shows the country for what it really is.
A book that is evenly balanced out with numbers and statistics to act as the foundation for the powerful questions that are raised.
A book that brings to light several instances and connects them to explain the agenda hidden behind their occurrence.
A book that argues for the progression and autonomy of women that has been denied for so long in the name of religion, caste, humility, labour and even cheap politics.
A book that serves as the third eye, to fuel fury towards gender based, religion based, caste based crimes that have had no reason than the power hungry nature of man to happen.
A book that me, you and everyone else should read for our collective growth towards a true democracy and break the mask of falseness behind the words 'Unity in Diversity'.
This book is one among the most important books I read this year and has given me a huge magnitude of depth to an inherent vision. With the dreadful things happening across the country, it is imperative that we pick up this tome and arm ourselves to fight against those who aim to be the next Hitlers and Mussolinis of today's India.
Please read it. Educate yourself. We are the next level of change this world needs. Lets make it a positive one.
March 31, 2020
The author does a great job in setting things straight. Well the author sets the tone of the book in the start by saying this " A statutory warning: the process of re-examining and challenging our comfort zones is injurious to close-mindedness, complacency and false pride. But our ability and will to change ourselves and our societies for the better is perhaps our best feature as human beings."
We live in a time when morally right movements such as feminist movements are looked at with apprehensions and doubts. Counter narratives based on one or two outliers seem to be building up against the need of the hour.Patriarchy as an institution has harmed not only women but more so men too. This book particularly deals with the struggle for autonomy of women in indian society. Autonomy which is fearless and unapologetic. Meanwhile author also discusses about the whole notion of women being deified into goddess and what not. According to author this deification leads to dehumanizing of women identity.
Patriarchies produce a potentially hospitable space where racism, casteism and communalism could meet. To back this premise author has mentioned several cases in the book. This also leads to many commentaries on political development in india. I think this might not be liked by some readers but I think its essential that all this is looked at in entirety rather than piecemeal approach.The point is to recognize that patriarchy and misogyny are not unique to any religion or community—and feminists, unlike communalists, do not use injustices to women as a stick to beat the ‘other’ community with. Feminists are not interested in any competition between communities to claim, ‘We treat women better than you do.’ Instead, we know that patriarchal injustices in one’s own community and family are the hardest to recognize because that patriarchy appears ‘normal’ and ‘natural’, whereas the patriarchy of the ‘other’ community or family, because unfamiliar, shocks us as ‘abnormal.
This book is truly a great work because it is written with courage and compassion at the same time. I wish more men read this and empathize with the movement which is indeed for the betterment of the society we live in.
We live in a time when morally right movements such as feminist movements are looked at with apprehensions and doubts. Counter narratives based on one or two outliers seem to be building up against the need of the hour.Patriarchy as an institution has harmed not only women but more so men too. This book particularly deals with the struggle for autonomy of women in indian society. Autonomy which is fearless and unapologetic. Meanwhile author also discusses about the whole notion of women being deified into goddess and what not. According to author this deification leads to dehumanizing of women identity.
Patriarchies produce a potentially hospitable space where racism, casteism and communalism could meet. To back this premise author has mentioned several cases in the book. This also leads to many commentaries on political development in india. I think this might not be liked by some readers but I think its essential that all this is looked at in entirety rather than piecemeal approach.The point is to recognize that patriarchy and misogyny are not unique to any religion or community—and feminists, unlike communalists, do not use injustices to women as a stick to beat the ‘other’ community with. Feminists are not interested in any competition between communities to claim, ‘We treat women better than you do.’ Instead, we know that patriarchal injustices in one’s own community and family are the hardest to recognize because that patriarchy appears ‘normal’ and ‘natural’, whereas the patriarchy of the ‘other’ community or family, because unfamiliar, shocks us as ‘abnormal.
This book is truly a great work because it is written with courage and compassion at the same time. I wish more men read this and empathize with the movement which is indeed for the betterment of the society we live in.
March 29, 2021
Finished it and gonna re-read it.
Read this people of India. Read it if you know how to read and you find the title intriguing.
Read this people of India. Read it if you know how to read and you find the title intriguing.
May 22, 2025
More of a 4.5 I guess.
The tragedy of a book like this is how relevant it is even 6 years after publication, and might be even years later considering the backlash against feminist movements across the globe these days. But it’s a compelling and compassionate read about the necessity for women’s freedom (specifically the titular fearless freedom) and not just “safety” that takes the form of benevolent oppression. The author does a wonderful job combining powerful anecdotes with sharp insights, showing the through line between the ultimate goals of patriarchy, racism, sexism and the violence used to uphold all forms of bigotry. On similar note, she emphasizes the need for more intersectionality and solidarity among various liberation movements, because ultimately freedom from oppression is only possible if it is for everyone.
Highly recommend and I’m looking forward to read some more of the books mentioned by the author within this one.
The tragedy of a book like this is how relevant it is even 6 years after publication, and might be even years later considering the backlash against feminist movements across the globe these days. But it’s a compelling and compassionate read about the necessity for women’s freedom (specifically the titular fearless freedom) and not just “safety” that takes the form of benevolent oppression. The author does a wonderful job combining powerful anecdotes with sharp insights, showing the through line between the ultimate goals of patriarchy, racism, sexism and the violence used to uphold all forms of bigotry. On similar note, she emphasizes the need for more intersectionality and solidarity among various liberation movements, because ultimately freedom from oppression is only possible if it is for everyone.
Highly recommend and I’m looking forward to read some more of the books mentioned by the author within this one.
June 9, 2020
Eye-opening. Brilliant. Read it. These are the kinds of books schools should recommend as a part of the curriculum instead of the banal, one sided and patriarchal social studies that is taught in our schools. If "autonomy" is seen as "allowed", it is not autonomy.
July 16, 2021
An essential reader for all Feminists in India & world over. Krishnan delves into the more 'practical' tangible issues facing Indian feminists- Honor Killings, Custodial murders, Military Rape & subjugation. I loved how at its core, the book continues to highlight the fact that there is no feminist state coexisting with Brahmanism, Casteism and Nationalism- an important idea. Structural systems of inequality are hotbed of misogyny and sexism; and bringing them down is important for a Feminist future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2021
Examples and arguments in this book are well crafted for any person to see the problems faced by women in India today (and in some sense always). The illusion of safety by curtailing freedom is in fact a worse move - and defeats the whole idea of women upliftment. A must read.
October 29, 2020
I was able to complete the first chapter of the book with great difficulty. In my opinion, Kavita has a one-sided understanding of both, Fearlessness and Freedom. Her thoughts on young love are dangerous, for she doesn't ever consider education or responsible behaviour as an option. As I continued reading, I was appalled by her literal interpretation of The Mahabharata, probably unaware that the the great epics are storehouses of philosophy and wisdom. I was very disappointed and it was probably one of the few books I could not bring myself to read beyond the first chapter.
July 9, 2021
Many of us are grieved and enraged when we see heinous crimes committed against women. But why don't we understand why they happen?
Patriarchy is a deliberate mechanism through which our women are devoid of autonomy and kept under constant surveillance. Women do not breathe free air in our country. Their Mobility is restricted, their choices of partners are restricted (same with men too), their lifestyles are restricted. Why should they live their lives with so many restrictions?
Women, who are not confined to the traditional definition of these virtues, are chastised, punished and ostracized. Why is it so?
Women are penalized for being harassed, even if it is the men who are harassing them. Why are you not asking the men to behave but scolding women for being outside late-night or wearing the dress they want to wear?
Why should our mothers care only about our families and are not expected to have any interests outside? Why have we killed their individuality and happiness?
Why is inter-caste marriage seen as a sin even after 74 years of independence?
Read this book to know the answers to these questions. It will make you a better person!
August 27, 2021
This book elucidates magnificently the shared outrage we feel as women and as feminists. From Kavita Krishnan's arguments against the deification of women, that strips us of our personhood and autonomy as human beings, to her explanation of why capital punishment too has patriarchal roots and does not make women feel any safer, have been written with great clarity. Reading this book has not only been a learning experience but also an emotional journey. And I am sure it is not just I who felt this way on reading Fearless Freedom. I have always been an admirer of Krishnan's passionate speeches that leave me with goosebumps; her writing is no less convincing. She cites substantial data and evidence to back her arguments and the research that has gone into this book is evident from that. If you are an Indian looking to study how patriarchy takes different forms across the country and how it varies for every individual given their overlapping identities at the intersections of gender, class, caste, race and religion, this book is a must read.
November 30, 2020
To have read a book so powerful, I consider it my privilege. Real stories of resilience, of courage, of pain, of hurt and of love, all packed in this book, the author makes her point across in the most compassionate manner. Her sensitivity towards critical issues and her resolve to make the world know about the terrors our society faces, is impeccable. To top it all, the book and all its accounts are backed by the strongest of research, so well-detailed and to the point, it makes you wonder the amount of work and efforts the author put to deliver such an outstanding work.
The book covers patriarchy, the violence that the minority community faces, the severe hardships faced by those who want to make a difference, the systemic powers in place that try to oppress and subjugate the powerless and how all attempts to rise are thwarted by the ones in power. It is impressive to know how much we are in the dark, and how much more is needed to make a difference, to make a true difference. This book truly deserves more recognition, as it not only makes us aware but would also help the community to become empathetic to the needs of others. Truly a read!!
The book covers patriarchy, the violence that the minority community faces, the severe hardships faced by those who want to make a difference, the systemic powers in place that try to oppress and subjugate the powerless and how all attempts to rise are thwarted by the ones in power. It is impressive to know how much we are in the dark, and how much more is needed to make a difference, to make a true difference. This book truly deserves more recognition, as it not only makes us aware but would also help the community to become empathetic to the needs of others. Truly a read!!
June 30, 2020
I rate this book 5 stars for its fearlessness- it is bold, it will make you cry with the stories that it holds, but also it is filled with research facts and data which is eye-opening. Freedom (and not safety) is what we want- for all. And this book reveals how difficult yet important a task it is to strive for.
It covers stories from across India (Haryana, Kerala, Manipur, Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and so on)- it will enrich your understanding of the country as well- and the multiple ways in which we have learnt to oppress.
It covers stories from across India (Haryana, Kerala, Manipur, Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and so on)- it will enrich your understanding of the country as well- and the multiple ways in which we have learnt to oppress.
February 11, 2023
As a member of the diaspora, this book was so informative and eye-opening to discourse and social phenomena that my own privilege precluded me from identifying.
The connection between morality and women’s mobility was one I first resonated with through Himani Bannerji’s work. This book takes that idea and blows it up on the mega screen to examine the multitude of aspects of social identity that work to inform morality and thus limit mobility and freedom. From caste to class to nationalism - the picture of “sanskaar” is one that is much more intricate than I realized.
The connection between morality and women’s mobility was one I first resonated with through Himani Bannerji’s work. This book takes that idea and blows it up on the mega screen to examine the multitude of aspects of social identity that work to inform morality and thus limit mobility and freedom. From caste to class to nationalism - the picture of “sanskaar” is one that is much more intricate than I realized.
July 8, 2020
A great book that ties together facts and incidents that we knew to be true, but would not have tied together in a feminist context in the current sociopolitical climate. A quote from the book: "We can, in fact we must, put women's autonomy at the centre of our struggles against fascism, against capitalism, against Brahmanism, against patriarchy and against heteronormativity."
February 8, 2021
A must read to understand how abuse of women's autonomy in our society many times is poised as rape. Social hierarchy rationalised as Social Harmony. Cries for capital punishment thwarts the real tangible need of autonomy of women and their consent. Kavita Krishnan has written this very well researched book bringing in comparisons of Jim Crow and Nuremberg Laws to our own Casteism.
December 27, 2020
Could not have given anything less than 5 star to this book. I wish I could hand this book to every individual of this nation, to open their eyes, and to make them see who their true allies are.
December 20, 2021
The most necessary read for anyone regardless of gender.
June 12, 2021
Has too become required reading for men generally. But particularly in India.
October 8, 2020
Here are a few sentences that have been constantly thumming inside my ears ever since I hit puberty
.
Dont go out so late, someone might molest you | Cover your breasts with that shawl properly |why are your pants so tight
.
I've been constantly warned to downplay my desires, curtail my dreams if I wanted to avoid rape, or even death.
.
In a universe where change is the only thing constant, Patriarchy has hitchhiked along with change and somehow managed to stay constant. Women are often offered two mutually exclusive options, you can either have safety or freedom ,but never both and I know you're devastated because, as a woman, I am too
.
Krishnan manages to isolate care from this obsessive need to curtail female autonomy. She beautifully points out that care and concern do not automatically translate into personhood and autonomy
.
Initially she places haphazard dots of Honour killing, Love Jihad, Rape, Molestation in the name of nationalism, child marriage, lack of basic rights for Dalit and Adivasi women and then she goes ahead and connects these dots beautifully with the string of feminism which is magnanimously intersectional
.
If you're a feminist and you speak outloud about female empowerment, equality and patriarchy but offer seperate utensils to eat and drink for your maid it means your brain has gladly erased out intersectionality from feminism. Feminism can NEVER be seperated or singled out from casteism, politics or capitalism .
When you're against one form of oppression ( Eg female oppression), you're automatically against every other form of oppression ( casteism, racism..) Being a casteist and a feminist is an oxymoron. Kavita doesn't just showcase the problems, she offers you the right solutions too! .
One excerpt in this book that made me realise my struggles are not unprecedented is
' The curtailment of freedom itself is never protection, but one of the worst forms of violence'
.
Here I am, just another girl who will forever dream of a world where I can excercise my right to dream and live in a world where i can have both safety and freedom at the same time
.
Dont go out so late, someone might molest you | Cover your breasts with that shawl properly |why are your pants so tight
.
I've been constantly warned to downplay my desires, curtail my dreams if I wanted to avoid rape, or even death.
.
In a universe where change is the only thing constant, Patriarchy has hitchhiked along with change and somehow managed to stay constant. Women are often offered two mutually exclusive options, you can either have safety or freedom ,but never both and I know you're devastated because, as a woman, I am too
.
Krishnan manages to isolate care from this obsessive need to curtail female autonomy. She beautifully points out that care and concern do not automatically translate into personhood and autonomy
.
Initially she places haphazard dots of Honour killing, Love Jihad, Rape, Molestation in the name of nationalism, child marriage, lack of basic rights for Dalit and Adivasi women and then she goes ahead and connects these dots beautifully with the string of feminism which is magnanimously intersectional
.
If you're a feminist and you speak outloud about female empowerment, equality and patriarchy but offer seperate utensils to eat and drink for your maid it means your brain has gladly erased out intersectionality from feminism. Feminism can NEVER be seperated or singled out from casteism, politics or capitalism .
When you're against one form of oppression ( Eg female oppression), you're automatically against every other form of oppression ( casteism, racism..) Being a casteist and a feminist is an oxymoron. Kavita doesn't just showcase the problems, she offers you the right solutions too! .
One excerpt in this book that made me realise my struggles are not unprecedented is
' The curtailment of freedom itself is never protection, but one of the worst forms of violence'
.
Here I am, just another girl who will forever dream of a world where I can excercise my right to dream and live in a world where i can have both safety and freedom at the same time
July 18, 2021
This book is fuel to my feminist heart. I am grateful to Kavita Krishnan for writing this.
September 8, 2021
My mother never left a chance to remind me how safe I am compared to other women. She never left a chance to remind me that I have 'given' a lot of freedom to do things and I must not abuse my freedom. And this concept of freedom has always been used as a reward. Like training a dog with treats for good behaviour, I was 'provided freedom' to do things when I was mute and unquestioning. And the moment I started questioning, the freedom was taken away.
My school had this habit of awarding 'best student of the year' to one student across all grades every year. It's a great honour for us to receive that award. I used to work hard to score good marks to be at the top of my class. I even did sports, which I loathed, for this stupid award. At the end of the year, I was pretty hopeful that I would get the prize. I mean, I have worked hard. But, no surprises here, I didn't get it. When I asked my teacher about it later, she told me that I was boisterous and stubborn and I talk back which shows that I am yet to develop discipline. I was 10. I still nurse the wound of not getting that prize when I worked so hard for it.
It is after that episode that I officially gave up being nice. And wherever I go, it has always caused me problems with the authorities. My professor was once kind enough to let me know that I will achieve nothing with my mouth running loose. While he has no problems with boys talking back, he schooled me how to be a good Hindu girl. I have always asserted my right to choose. I have always asserted my voice. I am loud and boisterous. Even if it led to beating me or hating me, I have never deterred. Because, my voice, my rights, and my freedom are worth more than whatever fight I had to put up with. I had this notion from a very young age but I was distracted by my own hypocrisy and biases.
Reading Fearless Freedom has been exhilarating. I have read so many things that are happening in our home and the outside as well that are disguised as 'normal.' I realized that the things which are done to us because I care about you are not about care at all. It is about the control they can exert over me. And I finally understood why all the authority figures in my life have been angry with me. When I assert my rights and voice my opinions, they lose the control they can exert which makes their veins throb with rage. The violence and threats are a result of this loss of control and never for my own good.
We are taught this stereotypical image of how a woman should be and how she should respond. We see it everywhere. There's no denying that. From custodial confinement to love jihad to military rape to femicides, we see violence and crimes against women as a form of upholding patriarchal honour. Using women as a ploy to satisfy the need to commit violence and perpetrate violence. The author shows us examples from all over the country and draws parallels to many international movements. The results are hopeful in some cases but most devastating. We are shown how women are just a shell of their former selves. We are shown how these caste hierarchies help in the exploitation of a woman's dignity. We are shown about the various propaganda that spews hate towards women, LGBTQIA folks and other minorities.
The author connects the political agenda and feminism and how these political agendas inflict a lifetime of trauma on the affected people. Catherine Malabou, a French philosopher, says, "We must all of us recognize that we might, one day, become someone else, an absolute other, someone who will never be reconciled with them-selves again, someone who will be this form of us without redemption or atonement, without last wishes, this damned form, outside of time." We all talk about the trauma of war. Trauma, caused by catastrophes or even a loss of a person close to us. But are we talking enough about the trauma of losing one's self? The trauma of being oppressed in our own home, by our own parents, siblings, husband, and eventually our children. The trauma inflicted by patriarchy.
Read Fearless Freedom not because it's about feminism but because it teaches how to be a feminist. It teaches us how to look at the bigger picture. It teaches us how to look past the bullshit of patriarchy. The only thing I felt lacking in this book is that there are very few instances of how men get affected by the same patriarchy. Other than that, this book is the perfect gem you were looking for to learn about Indian Feminism with a universal view.
My school had this habit of awarding 'best student of the year' to one student across all grades every year. It's a great honour for us to receive that award. I used to work hard to score good marks to be at the top of my class. I even did sports, which I loathed, for this stupid award. At the end of the year, I was pretty hopeful that I would get the prize. I mean, I have worked hard. But, no surprises here, I didn't get it. When I asked my teacher about it later, she told me that I was boisterous and stubborn and I talk back which shows that I am yet to develop discipline. I was 10. I still nurse the wound of not getting that prize when I worked so hard for it.
It is after that episode that I officially gave up being nice. And wherever I go, it has always caused me problems with the authorities. My professor was once kind enough to let me know that I will achieve nothing with my mouth running loose. While he has no problems with boys talking back, he schooled me how to be a good Hindu girl. I have always asserted my right to choose. I have always asserted my voice. I am loud and boisterous. Even if it led to beating me or hating me, I have never deterred. Because, my voice, my rights, and my freedom are worth more than whatever fight I had to put up with. I had this notion from a very young age but I was distracted by my own hypocrisy and biases.
Reading Fearless Freedom has been exhilarating. I have read so many things that are happening in our home and the outside as well that are disguised as 'normal.' I realized that the things which are done to us because I care about you are not about care at all. It is about the control they can exert over me. And I finally understood why all the authority figures in my life have been angry with me. When I assert my rights and voice my opinions, they lose the control they can exert which makes their veins throb with rage. The violence and threats are a result of this loss of control and never for my own good.
We are taught this stereotypical image of how a woman should be and how she should respond. We see it everywhere. There's no denying that. From custodial confinement to love jihad to military rape to femicides, we see violence and crimes against women as a form of upholding patriarchal honour. Using women as a ploy to satisfy the need to commit violence and perpetrate violence. The author shows us examples from all over the country and draws parallels to many international movements. The results are hopeful in some cases but most devastating. We are shown how women are just a shell of their former selves. We are shown how these caste hierarchies help in the exploitation of a woman's dignity. We are shown about the various propaganda that spews hate towards women, LGBTQIA folks and other minorities.
The author connects the political agenda and feminism and how these political agendas inflict a lifetime of trauma on the affected people. Catherine Malabou, a French philosopher, says, "We must all of us recognize that we might, one day, become someone else, an absolute other, someone who will never be reconciled with them-selves again, someone who will be this form of us without redemption or atonement, without last wishes, this damned form, outside of time." We all talk about the trauma of war. Trauma, caused by catastrophes or even a loss of a person close to us. But are we talking enough about the trauma of losing one's self? The trauma of being oppressed in our own home, by our own parents, siblings, husband, and eventually our children. The trauma inflicted by patriarchy.
Read Fearless Freedom not because it's about feminism but because it teaches how to be a feminist. It teaches us how to look at the bigger picture. It teaches us how to look past the bullshit of patriarchy. The only thing I felt lacking in this book is that there are very few instances of how men get affected by the same patriarchy. Other than that, this book is the perfect gem you were looking for to learn about Indian Feminism with a universal view.
July 14, 2021
“If you want to be safe, why do you demand freedom?”
Statements like these make me think how people with such mindset are surviving in this century? Why is the simple concept of providing women with complete freedom where they don’t have to justify why they are going out, where just hanging out with friends is not comparable to “asking for it”, where women could enjoy themselves, so difficult to understand? Why is a woman only expected to be out late just for work or emergency purposes, why not to enjoy herself, to take a walk under the moon, to hear the waves at night at the beach? Why is this considered that they are “putting themselves at risk and not taking care of themselves” and what will the government do for that?
The world we breathe in is loaded with patriarchy and misogyny and this also gives the platform where casteism, racism and communalism meet, where young girls are taught to endure violence at home so that the family is not broken because India is a “familyist” country and not a “feminist” one. This book is the writing of sheer courage and a book that pushes you to think beyond your comfort zone so that you pull the blinds of what is being shown to us as upliftment and development and show us the real plight that women of all social backgrounds, all walks of life of all ages are facing.
This book powerfully highlights how in India, “women safety” is the pretext for so many foul games being played by political parties like RSS trying to conduct pogroms on Muslims to fulfill their wish of Hindu nation or Hindutva for all, trying to subjugate lower castes by their pleas going unheard.
Whether it is “Bharat Mata” or “Gau Mata”, it seems as though ‘mothering’, in Indian politics today is a ruse for violence and hate. Keeping women at the pedestal of ‘goddesses’, we deny them the very essence of their living as an equal human. We have since ages romanticized the sacrifices our mothers do and never really acknowledge how important it is to give them their freedom.
The book is so well researched and she has backed up every word of hers with data and relevant statistics. The book started a bit slow for me but as I started understanding how everything is related and the situation in our country is way worse than I knew. The issues raised, the anecdotes shared, the themes discussed are very sensitive, but the compassion with which the author has written it, is powerful. The book is fierce and bold. It has a strength of its own kind.
This is a book I would want every single person to read. This book is an eye opener in many ways.
Statements like these make me think how people with such mindset are surviving in this century? Why is the simple concept of providing women with complete freedom where they don’t have to justify why they are going out, where just hanging out with friends is not comparable to “asking for it”, where women could enjoy themselves, so difficult to understand? Why is a woman only expected to be out late just for work or emergency purposes, why not to enjoy herself, to take a walk under the moon, to hear the waves at night at the beach? Why is this considered that they are “putting themselves at risk and not taking care of themselves” and what will the government do for that?
The world we breathe in is loaded with patriarchy and misogyny and this also gives the platform where casteism, racism and communalism meet, where young girls are taught to endure violence at home so that the family is not broken because India is a “familyist” country and not a “feminist” one. This book is the writing of sheer courage and a book that pushes you to think beyond your comfort zone so that you pull the blinds of what is being shown to us as upliftment and development and show us the real plight that women of all social backgrounds, all walks of life of all ages are facing.
This book powerfully highlights how in India, “women safety” is the pretext for so many foul games being played by political parties like RSS trying to conduct pogroms on Muslims to fulfill their wish of Hindu nation or Hindutva for all, trying to subjugate lower castes by their pleas going unheard.
Whether it is “Bharat Mata” or “Gau Mata”, it seems as though ‘mothering’, in Indian politics today is a ruse for violence and hate. Keeping women at the pedestal of ‘goddesses’, we deny them the very essence of their living as an equal human. We have since ages romanticized the sacrifices our mothers do and never really acknowledge how important it is to give them their freedom.
The book is so well researched and she has backed up every word of hers with data and relevant statistics. The book started a bit slow for me but as I started understanding how everything is related and the situation in our country is way worse than I knew. The issues raised, the anecdotes shared, the themes discussed are very sensitive, but the compassion with which the author has written it, is powerful. The book is fierce and bold. It has a strength of its own kind.
This is a book I would want every single person to read. This book is an eye opener in many ways.
October 18, 2020
When Kavita Krishnan introduces her book by the title, “If You Want To Be Safe, Why Do You Demand Freedom?”, she sets an accurate tone for her book, one which delves into the dichotomy of our patriarchal society. She reveals threats to female life and autonomy through cases, some of which seem unbearable to read but remain a striking reality check in their existence. She unveils threats of violence hiding in plain sight – in our government schemes, in our “educational” slogans, our school textbooks, our mythology, the list is endless.
It’s unrewarding to critically review a book that holds an immense amount of value in the manner it challenges conventional approaches to ‘safety’. Therefore, I’d rather commend this book for serving a greater purpose beyond sensitizing the population to the perils of equating safety to the absence of freedom of movement, i.e. breaking down majorly accepted notions of female empowerment.
The author beautifully brings the reader’s attention to society’s absurd justifications for pandering to patriarchy as a means to an end in this excerpt,
“People are going to continue to be patriarchal, they say so one has to appeal to their patriarchal interests to allow girls to be born. If individual patriarchal families want to avoid girls, perhaps they can be induced to allowing girls to be born in the collective interest of patriarchal society, or so the argument goes. The problem is that as long as women are devalued and denied personhood and equality, patriarchy is not particularly insecure."
Kavita Krishnan cuts across all discourses dominating mainstream media, foundational textbooks, and everyday innocuous comments as well and disillusions her audience as she questions norms that we’ve, in our lives, come to think of as acceptable and reasonable.
It’s unrewarding to critically review a book that holds an immense amount of value in the manner it challenges conventional approaches to ‘safety’. Therefore, I’d rather commend this book for serving a greater purpose beyond sensitizing the population to the perils of equating safety to the absence of freedom of movement, i.e. breaking down majorly accepted notions of female empowerment.
The author beautifully brings the reader’s attention to society’s absurd justifications for pandering to patriarchy as a means to an end in this excerpt,
“People are going to continue to be patriarchal, they say so one has to appeal to their patriarchal interests to allow girls to be born. If individual patriarchal families want to avoid girls, perhaps they can be induced to allowing girls to be born in the collective interest of patriarchal society, or so the argument goes. The problem is that as long as women are devalued and denied personhood and equality, patriarchy is not particularly insecure."
Kavita Krishnan cuts across all discourses dominating mainstream media, foundational textbooks, and everyday innocuous comments as well and disillusions her audience as she questions norms that we’ve, in our lives, come to think of as acceptable and reasonable.
November 27, 2020
Kavita Krishnan's Fearless Freedom opens with an explosive and thought-provoking question - are safety and freedom mutually exclusive for women in India? Why do we have to choose between wanting safety and being free? This is a concurrent theme throughout the book. Krishnan also demonstrates how feminism is villainized in the current sociopolitical scenario.
While this book didn't tell me anything I didn't already know (except the part of Factor Families. That was sheer horror) it did resonate with me. I related to a lot of instances (being asked to stay at home for my safety, male members of family and later guy friends wanting to "protect me", constantly being told to behave like a "girl", my aunt lamenting at my "westernized thoughts", the years of marriage pressure "for my own good", dismissal of my thoughts and feelings because "you're young, you don't know", being told to my face "you're very fast", threatened by a co-worker because I pointed out his offensive and often chauvinistic behaviour bordering on misogyny and so on) Which is why I recognize that this is an important book. Even if it doesn't teach anything new, even if it feels been-there-experienced-that, it leads to conversations, conversations which we must have.
So yes, read this book. Get your family and friends to read this book. Have those uncomfortable, confrontational talks. And maybe, maybe fight for change. For autonomy. For privilege. For fearless freedom.
While this book didn't tell me anything I didn't already know (except the part of Factor Families. That was sheer horror) it did resonate with me. I related to a lot of instances (being asked to stay at home for my safety, male members of family and later guy friends wanting to "protect me", constantly being told to behave like a "girl", my aunt lamenting at my "westernized thoughts", the years of marriage pressure "for my own good", dismissal of my thoughts and feelings because "you're young, you don't know", being told to my face "you're very fast", threatened by a co-worker because I pointed out his offensive and often chauvinistic behaviour bordering on misogyny and so on) Which is why I recognize that this is an important book. Even if it doesn't teach anything new, even if it feels been-there-experienced-that, it leads to conversations, conversations which we must have.
So yes, read this book. Get your family and friends to read this book. Have those uncomfortable, confrontational talks. And maybe, maybe fight for change. For autonomy. For privilege. For fearless freedom.
June 29, 2021
‘Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra devata’
(Where women are worshipped, there roam the Gods)
On paper this almost sounds like the sweetest truth but in reality are we really worshipping women? And thus allowing thy Gods to roam? No, because patriarchy is so deep rooted that it almost dates back to the mythological era and often given the reference of, for a woman to know her ‘limits’. How do you then ensure the female gender to be treated equally with her male counterpart?
The problem is greatly societal, political and to a great extent judicial, that leaves no stone unturned in ensuring the ‘freedom’ of women remains challenged on many levels. Whether it is her will to marry in another caste, or dress up in a certain manner, ‘there is no Constitution, no law, only morality’.
This book is brilliantly authored by feminist activist Kavita Krishnan, who has done a detailed research on women’s plight in our country and goes onto unfold and talk about the many ‘elephants in our room’. The book also has inspiring examples of numerous sheroes, who have challenged patriarchy and of its barbaric effects on the female gender. It’s a must-must-read. 📚
(Where women are worshipped, there roam the Gods)
On paper this almost sounds like the sweetest truth but in reality are we really worshipping women? And thus allowing thy Gods to roam? No, because patriarchy is so deep rooted that it almost dates back to the mythological era and often given the reference of, for a woman to know her ‘limits’. How do you then ensure the female gender to be treated equally with her male counterpart?
The problem is greatly societal, political and to a great extent judicial, that leaves no stone unturned in ensuring the ‘freedom’ of women remains challenged on many levels. Whether it is her will to marry in another caste, or dress up in a certain manner, ‘there is no Constitution, no law, only morality’.
This book is brilliantly authored by feminist activist Kavita Krishnan, who has done a detailed research on women’s plight in our country and goes onto unfold and talk about the many ‘elephants in our room’. The book also has inspiring examples of numerous sheroes, who have challenged patriarchy and of its barbaric effects on the female gender. It’s a must-must-read. 📚
June 19, 2023
Such a thought-provoking, compelling read! I picked this up after it came highly recommended by a professor. I consider myself relatively well-versed with most concepts and ideas within the realm of feminism and most books regarding the same subject matter have only confirmed what I already know. I wasn't expecting to find any new perspectives but I was so wrong.
Krishnan centres feminist discourse around a uniquely Indian perspective in a way I have never seen done in mainstream discourse. By re-centring the narrative around sexual and gender-based violence in India, Krishnan exposes the daily practices that make often sensationalized acts of such violence operative. She examines the encumbrance on women's autonomy through a multitude of examples and this diversity allows for the book to be accessible even to those who wouldn't usually align themselves with the feminist movement.
Reading a book that aims to uncover the problematic seed of beliefs surrounding the safety of women is bound to be a personal journey that is entirely worth taking. This should be mandatory reading.
Krishnan centres feminist discourse around a uniquely Indian perspective in a way I have never seen done in mainstream discourse. By re-centring the narrative around sexual and gender-based violence in India, Krishnan exposes the daily practices that make often sensationalized acts of such violence operative. She examines the encumbrance on women's autonomy through a multitude of examples and this diversity allows for the book to be accessible even to those who wouldn't usually align themselves with the feminist movement.
Reading a book that aims to uncover the problematic seed of beliefs surrounding the safety of women is bound to be a personal journey that is entirely worth taking. This should be mandatory reading.
April 1, 2022
Fearless Freedom by Kavita Krishnan talks about India, women, violence, and control in private, public, social and political spheres of life with which each one of us resonates in one way or the other. Depicting real life stories, unmasking the so called conventional wisdom, Krishnan calls out numerous incidents of violence against women and the courage with which they faced it all.
This book is a loud and clear message to all its readers suggesting that its high time we understand how the society looks at women's freedom and transform it for the goof of our collective future.
The language is simple, the stories gut-wrenching. All in all this is a sharp critique of patriarchy prevailing even in contemporary India.
This book is a loud and clear message to all its readers suggesting that its high time we understand how the society looks at women's freedom and transform it for the goof of our collective future.
The language is simple, the stories gut-wrenching. All in all this is a sharp critique of patriarchy prevailing even in contemporary India.
January 17, 2021
Kavita Krishnan is a lady I admire enormously, this book uses the gender perspective to examine the socio-political environment of India. It deals with and contextualizes issues that concern us all- love jihad, growing power of khap panchayats, atrocities by the police/ army, working conditions in factories- and shows how all of it is used to restrict the freedom of women by removing their autonomy.
None of us is free till all of us is free is the message the book leaves us with; we need to work towards emancipation and empowerment of all.
A book I will recommend to anyone who is willing to read with an open mind.
None of us is free till all of us is free is the message the book leaves us with; we need to work towards emancipation and empowerment of all.
A book I will recommend to anyone who is willing to read with an open mind.
October 17, 2021
Kavita Krishnan explores different aspects of what freedom means for women in India, from an insider's perspective. As someone who has worked on the ground with common men and women, she tackles difficult questions one has to deal with in the indian context with incredible clarity as well as compassion. Reading this book, I kept imagining the amount of good research that has went into writing it, the way the author brings in real stories of women and men who had to experience loss, pain, violence and suffering at the hands of a system designed to oppress and subjugate women, minorites and those who wants to make a difference. I thinks Its a must read for all indians!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews