Lata Mittal: girls exploited by "feminist" Brahma Kumaris

Exploited and neglected by the Brahma Kumaris, the story of Lata Mittal is probably the story of 100s of young Indian women in the Brahma Kumaris of whom we never hear and know too little.

For the sake of the consciences of middle class Westerners, especially the liberal and educated women who support them, the Brahma Kumaris like to portray themselves as "feminists" and use this to sell themselves in the Western lifestyle market place. I would argue that they are not.

I propose that the Brahma Kumaris are 'caste-ists', first and foremost. Their primary interest is in social climbing within the Indian caste system and portraying themselves as "Brahmins" has been effective in re-gaining the privileges they lost by leaving their wealthy families; that the BKs have more interest in exploiting and controlling low caste women than truly empowering them. In short that they do not with to challenge patriarchy but merely usurp its positions of privilege.

Lata's story rings very true to what we have already heard and know of the BKs.

Lata Mittal was one of six Brothers and five Sisters. When she was about thirteen, her mother sent her and her younger Sister away to Brahma Kumari ashram in Calcutta. Her Father's protests were not heeded.

Lata says she was exploited in the ashram and made to do manual work like washing utensils, cleaning, ironing and cooking for 25 people. She was not educated so she could not participate in the daily discourses. She was not allowed to study although she was keen to do so. Not even a newspaper was allowed on the premises so she had no access to the outside world.

After five years, Lata returned home but her mother told her that she had been sacrificed to God and must stay at the ashram. After another five years there, she could not stand it any longer so she finally left the ashram.

Lata came back after spending ten years in the ashram but her mother never reconciled to her and was not even willing to give her food from the family kitchen.

Lata had to struggle hard to find a clerical job in the post and telegraph department and be on her own. By this time, her Father and two of her Brothers had died. Lata's other Sisters were married off and had been persuaded to sign a relinquishment deed of the property in favour of their Brothers. Encouraged by her Sisters lata moved court to claim her share of the ancestral property consisting of four shops and a house which had been appropriated by her Brothers who refused to give her any share in this. Following Lata's example, younger Sister also wanted to leave the ashram and claim her share in the property. Lata remained outside of the sect but she has firmly rejected marriage.

Lata Mittal's case highlights one significant way out of many adopted by patriarchal families to subvert women's equal right of inheritance which the Brahma Kumaris and knowingly and willingly play along with for the sake of their benefit.

Indeed, it may be seen as a most successful resolution of different problems;

of conserving patriarchy's inheritance in male heirs;
of escaping from bearing the expenses of marriage or even maintenance;
of handling sexuality of daughters and finally an honourable way of dealing with females which had the time acclaimed societal approbation.

As a "sacrifice to god" it perhaps earned them religious merit as well.

This case also highlights that the surrendering of girls in their childhood to the sect, initiated in the colonial period, has retained its popularity even now.

Many of the current leading Brahma Kumaris and surrendered Sisters were attached to the sect from their childhood. They become fully surrendered in their teens with the permission of their families. They are drawn heavily from among lower middle class which has its own compulsions to opt for the sect. This surrendering of girls in their childhood, shows a collusion between families and a religious institution in organising a space where legal notions that a candidate has to be major to make a decision are being subverted.

Even among lay followers the early acclimatisation of girls in their childhood may not unoften act as a prelude to their possible surrendered status.

"Give me a child until they are seven and I will give you the individual".

Two interesting sub-plots to this story worth are investigating.

The first is the politics of food which arise time and time again within the sphere of BKism influence whether it is adherents being encouraged to refuse food by their own mother whilst accepting it from BKs or, in this case, the mother refusing to give food to the exiting BK as a way of forcing and controlling her (the giving and taking of food, of mutual nourishment, has a far deeper significance within society than merely maintaining the body ... and it's worth nothing that senior BKs are generally fed better).

The second is of the so called feminists' almost exclusive use of male spiritual figures as devices to give them authority. Even the female deities they have chosen are companion figures of powerful males, not powerful females in their own right. And let us not forget the influential males backstage within the BKWSU/PBIVV who arguable run the business of it.

Abridged from: Manushi a Forum for Women's and Democratic Reform.

Manushi was founded in 1978 with the aim of finding effective solutions for the economic, political and social problems confronting us in India today through patient study, a non-partisan approach, live interaction with the people concerned, and culturally sensitive, informed activism.

Manushi aims to provide a platform that would provide space both for intellectual quests, investigations and debates as well as activist interventions. One of its consistent endeavours has been to bridge the divide between analysis and activism, rather than pitch them against each other.

I wonder if these women and children feel "spiritually liberated" and whether the BKs just use the old colonial excuse of them being grateful for the work?

Low caste or tribal women used by Brahma Kumaris for hard labor and rock breaking

BK_workers.jpg (46.5 KiB) Viewed 11010 times

We can be critical of many things of BK. But must be said that these tribal ladies are paid for work they do. Whole economy of Mt Abu area has improved since BK employed ladies. But gentlemen not employed?

That sort of misses the point of the post, leonard. They get paid because they demand it. Why don't the BKs do their own hard work? Why don't the BKs pay the Kumaris wives and servants who do their cooking, cleaning and washing ... the 1,000s of girls and women in the BKs who don't get paid? Perhaps even 10s of 1,000s?

Did you read the post or just look at the picture?

How do Western feminists feel about sitting around having cosmic chit chats all day whilst their "Sisters" do hard labor under the hot sun?

If anything the picture is proof that the Bhils have their heads screwed on and only work for the BKs if they get paid. However, it would be better if they were employed building facilities for their own community's benefit. Why have so few Mount Abu residents joined the Brahma Kumaris?

It would be worth someone doing a full survey of the impact of the BKs plantation on Mount Abu, e.g. pollution, water, land and property prices and availability. I've heard even the BKs are not longer allowed to develop up there any more. It's fairly typical in the developing world that the women do all the hard work and the men sit around, smoking and drinking but I don't know what is going on here nor the BKs employment policies. I accept that often it's better to employ women as a way of ensuring the men don't spend the money on smokes and drink ... but I do not think that challenges the caste-ism versus feminism argument above.

Female emancipation or social climbing?

Although I have heard it said that those locals employed by the BKs are paid the going rate and are well-treated (in relative terms, I suppose). I am sure the going rate for rock-breaking and porting is the lowest rate of pay that one could possibly be paid, as this work is unskilled and casual (temporary). Remember, this is the kind of work that used to be done by prisoners in the West who'd been sentenced to "hard labour".

Their men are most likely involved in more permanent "bread winning" pursuits - farming, trading etc.

Remember, this is the kind of work that used to be done by prisoners in the West who'd been sentenced to "hard labour".

That was more the point I was trying to make.

It's the power of capitalism, or the exploitation of the capitalist system, rather than the goodness of god. Unless the former has become the BKs' god.

We're headed off topic and so I think it would be worth splitting this one but here a bit of history that explains *why* the bhils are forced to labor their women in this manner and how more ethical NGOs approach the issue truly empowering tribal people ... it's all tied in with land rights, loss of indigenous forests and British rule.

Just as with usurping the position of the Brahmins rather than challenging social order, they appear to be happy to step into the position the British had in India too with grounds and "pavilions". As we know, Abu was eased to the British from the Maharaja of Sirohi to use as their headquarters of Rajputana (Rajasthan). During the British rule in India, it was the favourite summer destination of the British who came here to escape the dusty, dry heat of the plains.

I find it difficult to believe that Lekhraj Kirpalani, with his extensive business interactions with the British elite, would be unaware of this. Rather than "God" mystically tell them to go to Abu, perhaps it just a simple 2+2 knowing that a) it would be a nice place if the British went there, and b) with the British leaving, there would good accommodation and facilities free?

Rather than "God" mystically tell them to go to Abu, perhaps it just a simple 2+2 knowing that a) it would be a nice place if the British went there, and b) with the British leaving, there would good accommodation and facilities free?

They sent a scouting party. A few left Karachi, went to Delhi & Bombay first and from there went looking around. I think it was Dada Vishwa Ratan and possibly AK. Whether they had "leads" is not so important, they would have heard of it from somewhere or other.

It was a great choice - I loved Mt Abu as a destination, and most afternoons I left the ashram while most people slept and went walking to different parts of the mountain. Went out in the evenings too, against the advice of Seniors, especially on warm moonlit nights ... Shame they've overrun and overdeveloped the place.

I am more educated in this matter now. Thank you. Husbands of ladies, BK in Mt Abu say, are often at home with drinking problem.

Bhil caste are not trading can I say. But farm work is possible.

All the Bhils drink, men, women and children. As a tribe their previously sustainable way of life (as hunters and gatherers), is suffering as their land and rights are taken by those with money power and their traditional lifestyle is declining. It's the same the world for nomads and pasturalists.

They are forced to labor because they have been made landless, and as even in the 19th Century when they were allotted lands, those lands were poor quality and lacking in water and so they need to augment their incomes somehow.

Such backbreaking work is not liberation.

The Bhils are very well studied and so there is a lot of information on that. If you are interested in them, I encourage you to read up on it rather than accept the BKs opinion. They definitely trade, but perhaps not as shop keepers. Historically they felt exploited by Rajputs and Hindu traders and so keep to themselves. They have a very poor opinion of Hindu businessmen. Incidentally, they had their own trance mediums through which goddesses speak called Bhopas.

Now, back to the plight of Indian women being subjected by the Brahma Kumaris ... are they free, unpaid servants, or enslaved?

The BKs might say, "they can leave anytime, no one is forcing them to stay" but is that true? Is it not a bit like the captain of a ship saying that any crew member can jump over board and swim for it if they want ... whilst in the middle of an ocean ... or being told one is "free" to walk off into the desert anytime if one wants.

Does India allow women the space and afford them alternative forms of support if she leaves the Brahma Kumaris?

Are they still trapped or stigmatised for being an ex-BK ?