Sati?

For people like us (urbanites?) this term relates only to the 19th century, when it was banned by the government… a thing of past.

I will grab a moment of yours to revise what sati implied then, a woman has no right to live or enjoy any of the worldly pleasures after her husband’s death. Hence she was given a mortal death.

After a lot of opposition that started from the time of Akbar, it finally got the government seal in mid 18oo (yes, almost 200 years back).
And she was allowed to live. Her life was pardoned. A life, in which she was deprived of everything, be it colors, long-hair, any social function, any festival.
Awarded with a life of humiliation, by her family members.
A lot of films are made on their plight and these films are applauded abroad, receive awards in film festivals. They were talked about and forgotten soon. Never ever released here in India, which has the largest widow population in the world.

My aim of writing this article is not to “highlight” their misery and condition but to understand some basic practices.

Donatation (“Daan” as they say it in Hindi) can be given by everyone, be it a criminal or wealthy. And as per the Hindu “shastra” (which we Indians follow only to suppress someone), Kanya-daan is maha-daan. (In India, while marrying your daughter, you actually donate it to the groom). A murderer can do it, a widower can do it but a widow… nah!! They say if she do this all the bad luck in the world will wreak havoc on the newly-wedded… well they never ever allowed this so how do they know it? They never gave her a chance!!!

And the irony of it is, this practice and the religion is so much penetrated into our minds that the widow themselves are scared to do it!!
Try convincing her, she says, I am like that, I am of older generation, you don’t understand social obligations.
Social Obligation? what has this to do with blessing your daughter?

Does her burning-alive ban means we got rid of Sati-Pratha? When she will be considered an equal human-being?