• Thoudam Chanu Alpa

Imtiaz Dharker raises her voice against the oppressive male-dominated society which fears the female voice and drowns it thus depriving women of their basic right. Through her writings she questions and counters the male ideology of ruling over not just the female’s body but also her voice, thoughts and perspectives. She challenges the notion that silence is the best quality of a woman in her poem “Tongue”. Silence is as well projected as the appropriate behaviour of a woman as a woman who speaks less is considered to be more docile, feminine and obedient. In public as the private realm, a man’s words are the final ones; his words would not be questioned. So, a dignified woman is expected to keep her tongue quiet. And this trait is groomed from a very young age among the girls. The poet criticizes such code of conduct specially designed for the women and questions the world of patriarchy which refuses to acknowledge the existence of women’s voice.

Patriarchy, Silence, Tongue, Diaspora

"The Fear of Women’s Voice in a Patriarchal Society: A study of Imtiaz Dharkar’s poem Tongue", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no.243-247, May-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1905J37.pdf

"The Fear of Women’s Voice in a Patriarchal Society: A study of Imtiaz Dharkar’s poem Tongue", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no. pp243-247, May-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1905J37.pdf