A 24

1913 was a time when none could imagine that girls could go to schools or colleges. Their movements were limited within the domestic premises and even if they went out male escorts accompanied them. Only those women from the lower and working classes were seen outside, that too confined in their work places. In those unimaginable times of conservatism, the CMS College admitted female students and helped them to realize a world through education. But the social conservatism and dogmatism were too oppressive that the members of the patriarchal society took cudgels against the college, resulting in the untimely termination of the female education program.

Sabitha Kadannappalli in her relief work envisions this historical event symbolically and metaphorically. One could see three girls, dressed according to their times walking on a rope tied across the invisible society and the visible edifices of the CMS College. These students balance on the rope by holding their hands like wings, showing their impending ability to fly to the freer firmaments. With the help education they are so high up in the air that their male counterparts could only look up their elevated status with envy and rage. The protestors gathered below want these girls to be brought down so that they could be kept like house slaves forever. The precariousness of the posture of the girls on the rope and the expectant looks on the faces of the men below waiting eagerly for their imminent fall are captured unmistakably by the artist.

Published On: January 27th, 2024Categories: Relief Sculpture

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

Recent Posts