Ms. Sunita Parikh (Broadening Narratives)

Description

Sunita Parikh, 86, born in Dohad village in Gujarat, is a retired schoolteacher who reflects on her childhood in a financially modest joint family and her early commitment to education. The interview includes discussion of her father’s work as a mill clerk, her schooling in Gujarati and English-medium institutions, and her academic success as the eldest of five siblings. She describes beginning her teaching career at age seventeen to support her family, working in a madrasa run by the Bohra community, and later teaching through the district school board after her marriage. She discusses early marriage, relocation within Gujarat, and experiences during periods of regional tension that prompted travel to Mumbai. She also reflects on language use, friendships, and social life at the senior center. Other topics discussed include joint family life, women’s education, multilingualism in Gujarati and Hindi, financial hardship, and community support networks.