The difference between a Japanese wife and an Indian one (true story) was once described roughly thus. The Japanese woman, according to Chie Nakane in her work Japanese Society, was culturally forced to be a silent sufferer. She had no recourse to externalise her frustrations, and any expression of anger was throttled by the rigid protocols of her society. The Indian woman, Ms Nakane said, could and would loudly complain when breaking point arrived. In slums and such close-spaced urban neighbourhoods, Ms Nakane, observed the frequently heard shrieking and recriminations of abused ...