[This is an article by Kochattil Kalyanikkutty Amma (known by her married name, Mrs C Kuttan Nair) appended to her well-known travelogue, A Peep at Europe (Njaan Kanda Europe in Malayalam), written after her tour of Europe in 1935 along with a group of Indian women under the leadership of Mrs Alexandrena Datta, a Scotswoman married to the Indian nationalist Dr s K Datta. It reveals her extraordinary perception of ‘Women’ as a global category and the necessity of establishing a position of equality between women of colonised and coloniser countries in addressing the question of patriarchal oppression. Interestingly, nowhere else in her writing did she evoke the fall-from-golden age narrative of Indian women’s past, or that of the freedoms enjoyed by Nair women! Clearly, these are merely props used to create a speaking position of equality with women of Europe. ‘A Peep at Europe’ is a truly remarkable work, especially for its deep awareness of the structural base of cultural difference, and the ‘politics of friendship’ that it performs. It is now available online, thanks to the Panjab Digital Library. It may be found here. ]
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Swatantryavaadini 