Caste

Date: 19 Jun 1994

From: A history of Indian women in Aotearoa

By: Wood, Pushpa, 1956-

Reference: OHInt-0063/06

Description: Pushpa Wood details being born in Delhi India on 14 July 1956, moving to New Zealand in May 1980 and living in Wellington. Talks about her life in India, growing up, education, family, rejecting arranged marriages and caste system, and early experiences. Notes that she speaks about 15 languages including English, Sanskrit, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Urdu, her religion is Hindu and that her caste is Brahmin. Describes how she currently conducts many religious ceremonies, a role usually reserved for Brahmin men. Details completing a BA and an MA in languages at Delhi University and meeting her husband, Jack Wood, in India. Describes completing her PhD at Victoria University in religion. Talks about her career, feminism, her daughter Gayatri and the combination of her own Hinduism and her husband's Christianity. Describes her work teaching vegetarian cooking and lecturing at the Wellington Polytechnic in Indian religion. Notes that she is on several committees and supervises an honours student in Sanskrit. Reflects on the Indian community in Wellington and her life in Wellington both past and present, her dreams for her daughter and her philosophies on life. Venue - Wellington Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-006133, OHC-006134 Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 2 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-1378 summary notes.

Date: 31 01 1995 - 31 Jan 1995

From: A history of Indian women in Aotearoa

By: Soni, Kantha (Dr), active 1951-1995

Reference: OHInt-0063/08

Description: Kantha Soni details how she was born in Fiji, speaks Hindu, Gujarati and English, that her religion is Hindu and how she came to New Zealand in 1951 to study to become a doctor. Notes that she is the first New Zealand Indian woman doctor. Talks about her life in Fiji, her schooling at a Methodist school, her hard years of study, the struggle of her family to send her to New Zealand to study, her career, living in Wellington, her divorce and being on her own for 22 years. Talks about living with her mother and her daughter in Auckland. Discusses how everything she has done is untraditional; leaving home, having a career, getting a divorce and bringing up a child on her own. Talks about not feeling that she is radical but rather that she just did it because it was important to her. Explains that the caste system is not important to her, that the indigenous peoples of India were conquered, not born into the caste system. Talks about being a feminist and what this means to her. talks about setting up the first Maori women's health collective on the North Shore and what an achievement this has been for her. Discusses her involvement with the Indian community and her plans for the future. Venue - Wellington Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-006137 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s) - summary notes. 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - other OHA-1380.

Date: 1994 - 01 Jan 1994

From: A history of Indian women in Aotearoa

By: Deobhakta, Kanan, active 1970s-1990s

Reference: OHInt-0063/02

Description: Kanan Deobhakta talks about her family background and traces her family heritage to the states of Gujarat and Maharastra. Discusses being born in Uganda and entering New Zealand as a refugee with her husband and two children in the 1970's as a result of the expelling of Indians from Uganda. She discusses getting residency. Notes that her siblings now live in many other parts of the world. Discusses her parents and grandparents liberal attitudes to the caste system, arranged marriages and issues of religious segregation, and how these attitudes influenced her own life. Talks about founding the Bharat Natyam School of Classical Indian Dance in the 1980's and about the lack of awareness of this dance and art form in both the Indian community and Western culture. Discusses some of the successes and struggles from grassroots efforts to funding and support from the Arts Council and other institutions. Talks about her latest contemporary dance works and her vision for the school and students. Venue - Auckland Interviewer(s) - Mandrika Rupa Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-006127 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - other OHA-1374.

Date: 9 July 1994 - 09 Jul 1994

From: A history of Indian women in Aotearoa

By: Kasanji, Lalita, 1956-

Reference: OHInt-0063/05

Description: Lalita Kasanji details that she was born in Wellington on December 5th 1956, that she speaks English and Gujarati, her religion is Hindu and her caste Kanbee. Describes in great detail her experiences of being brought up in in New Zealand including discussion of her childhood days and growing up in a cross cultural environment. Talks about the strong influences in her life, particularly her mother. Discusses how she was raised in a traditional manner, but with some liberal attitudes and freedom of thought. Discusses her visits to India and her arranged marriage, divorce and re-marriage. Talks about caste, religion and rituals surrounding her upbringing. Talks about her hopes, dreams and visions for the future. Discusses her career, her work life in Wellington as a Senior Advisory Officer for Ethnic Affairs, completing an MA in Sociology at Victorial University and her involvement with the Indian community. Venue - Wellington Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-006131, OHC-006132 Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 2 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - other OHA-1377.

Date: 19 May 1994

From: A history of Indian women in Aotearoa

By: Singh, Sante, 1905-2001

Reference: OHInt-0063/11

Description: Sante Singh notes that she was born in 1905 at Haraghar, Hoshiarpur, Punjab State. Describes coming to New Zealand in 1932, her husband's work as a scrub and flax cutter in the Wanganui region, her life in New Zealand in the 1930's and the joys and struggles. Talks about the arrival of other Indian families, other immigrants, her contact with tangata whenua. Talks about how many of her friends on neighbouring farms were Maori and how many of the local Indians subscribed to the caste system and were exclusive about who they had contact with. Talks about how difficult it was to access Indian spices, about cooking, food and religious rituals. Discusses being a Sikh. Notes that she speaks Punjabi and a little English. Discusses farming, her family, childbirth and her children. Venue - Auckland Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-006142 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s) - summary notes. 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - other OHA-1383.