3. Review

The epilogue brings the discussion full circle, whereby the past, present and future are recognised as intricately entwined and queering linear progressive temporalities. The past is better understood through debates and concerns of the present, whereas the contemporary constructivist logics emerge when traced backwards in history; future imaginings likewise are wedged within the dynamics of political visions of the past and the present. Through eclectic theoretical borrowing, Pande weaves a feminist historical narrative rich in analysis and commentary, to produce a work that is intellectually exhilarating. I could conclude on this positive note. However, advancing Pande’s project is guided by queer feminist practice of interrogating assumptions, partialities and easy resolutions, I want to make space for ethical concerns tied to citational politics in research, writing and teaching. What does it mean for feminist scholarship committed to an expansive rethinking of childhood from the global South, to lean significantly upon Foucault’s myopic Eurocentric intellectual formulations? How does one uphold intellectual fidelity especially given the recent revelations of Foucault’s paedophilic interactions with boys in Tunisia? While these revelations could not have been known when the book was completed, how about a related concern articulated by Dalit feminists under #MeToo calling out bullying and sexual misconduct by leading South Asian postcolonial male scholars, some of whom are prominently cited in the book? Even as this is posed as a question, it is raised here more as a way of acknowledging compelling ethical and moral quandaries within academia that feminist activism has brought to our collective attention.