Nangeli, A Brave Soldier
Who was Nangeli?
Perhaps no one has heard Nangeli’s name outside of Kerala. you won’t even find any photograph, any reference in any school history book.
But the example of her courage is such that you will never forget once knowing because Nangeli had cut her own breast for the “Right to cover breasts”.
Story about Nangeli
This is a story of about 100 to 150 years old hidden in the pages of Kerala’s history when there was a rule of Brahmin’s King Travancore.
The roots of racism were very deep and women of lower castes were ordered not to cover their breasts. In violation, they had to give ‘breast tax’.
Breast- Tax to maintain casteism
Dr Shiba KM, associate professor of Gender Ecology and Dalit Studies, at Shree Shankaracharya Sanskrit University in Kerala, says that this was the time when the customs of dress were such that when one person was seen, his caste could be identified.
Dr Shiba says, “The purpose of breast tax was to maintain the structure of racism,.
It was the cost of having a woman belonging to a lower caste. It’s not possible for these poor communities to pay the tax again and again.
Nangeli cut her breast but did not get ready to pay breast tax
In the caste structure of Kerala, the Nayar caste was considered as Shudra, from which the Adva and then the Dalit communities were kept at the lower level.
“When the officer, who came to demand a tax, did not listen to Nangeli, Nangeli cut her own breast and put it in front of them.” But after this courage, Nangeli died due to excessive bleeding.
It is said that during the funeral of Nangeli, her husband also jumped into the fire and gave his life.
Nangeli's contribution not for herself
“Nangeli had taken these steps for all the women, not for herself”.
Nangeli Your Amar Saga will be written in the golden letters, it was such a raucous view of Manuism and Brahmanism that a woman was not let her breasts covered on the basis of her caste. we get goosebumps even if we listen to such incidents.
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