A short note about rokeya skhawat …

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain learnt English from her elder brother and an elder sister inspite of family opposition and went on to become a famous writer. Though she knew how to read and write Urdu, she was stopped from learning Bangla and English. In those days, English was seen as a language that would expose girls to new ideas, which people thought were not correct for them. (viii) Rashsundari Devi of Bengal was the first Indian woman to write an autobiography called ‘Amar Jiban’.

Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was born into a rich family. 

• Although she knew how to read and write Urdu, she was stopped from learning Bangla and English.
• During those days, English was seen as a language that would expose girls to new ideas, which people thought were not correct for them.
• Therefore, it was only boys who were taught English.
• With the support of her elder brother and an elder sister, Rokeya learnt to read and write Bangla and English.
• She went on to become a writer.
• In 1905, when she was merely 25 years old, she wrote a remarkable story titled ‘Sultana’s Dream’ to practise her English skills.
• The story imagined a woman called Sultana who reaches a place called Ladyland.
• Ladyland was described as a place where women had the freedom to study, work and create inventions like controlling rain from the clouds and flying air cars.
• In this Ladyland, the men had been sent into seclusion—their aggressive guns and other weapons of war defeated by the brain power of women.
• As Sultana travels in Ladyland with Sister Sarah, she awakes to realise that she was only dreaming.

Ans. Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was born in a rich family who acquired education with the dream of bringing about a change in the condition of women. She learnt Bangla and English and later became a writer.She wrote a story Sultana's Dream in 1905. In her book she talks of an imaginary world , Ladyland where women are free and are treated equally. She dreams of a society where women get equal opportunities, and are flying planes, driving cars, and controlling the society. In 1910 she started a school for girls in Kolkata. She has been a symbol of change.