Le Singing Women del West Bengal e le donne dalit scrittrici: elementi comuni di affermazione identitaria e di denuncia sociale

[Autom. eng. transl.] The Chitrakar women of West Bengal, India remind us that identity and cooperative work are key. In fact, through their art, the Citrakar (artists, painters and storytellers) strengthen their identity above all as women. The themes illustrated in the patachitra reaffirm what has been said above and mark a sort of timeline, from the scrolls of the ancient mythological themes to the opening towards current events. This would also help to create interest in young artists so that they can take up the tradition of their fathers and make it a profession that is updated from time to time, becoming the spokesperson for the socially shaped female world. I was able to see my opinions confirmed by coming into personal contact with the artists Swarna and Mamoni Citrakar on the occasion of the exhibition Dipinti Cantati, the Singing Women of the Indian tradition (curated by Laura Todeschini, scientific coordination by Urmila Chakraborty and Giulia Ceschel) held in 2012 in Milan at WOW Spazio Fumetto. I asked them several questions particularly regarding the relationship between travel and their profession. The response was positive and he underlined how having brought this profession even outside one's native place has always proved to be very important. In fact, Italy and Milan were a surprise not so much for the city and its beauties, but for the culture and society that the two artists had the opportunity to meet and the warmth they perceived from them; this not only contextually to their exhibition but also in the preparation of the exhibition, in the hospitality received and in the cultural openness shown on that occasion. The identity of these women therefore remains local but opens up to the whole world through the activity of storytellers in different cities in which they have been asked to perform. Swarna Citrakar has traveled extensively in Europe. In this regard, it seems interesting to me to draw attention to other Indian women who are heirs and witnesses of Hindu society, i.e. Dalit women writers. They in turn strive to express their identity on the margins of the Indian social structure through another form of art, literature. The contribution contains a translation by the author from Hindi into Italian of the poem "Stri," "Woman", taken from the collection of poems Hamare hisse ka suraj (in Italian, Our share of the sun). Sushila Takbhaure focuses particularly on Dalit women, their identity and the denunciation of their social condition.