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?
posted by Jenifer | 1:53 PM
6 Comments:
The misery never ended... there are some more instances like.
the widow suppose to eat only once a day, sleep on floor (on chatai). walk bare foot. get up early in the morning and do prayer.... It is believed that practising this the widow can keep her lust and desires at bay..
2. In will not name the community but in that community the widow has is being shared among all the men in that family ... (sare mardon ka haq hota hai), the logic behind is that if she ever feel like having sex she should not got out of the house... It sound very brutal but this is fact.
A widower can re marry but no a widow ... why ???
We are very fast in searching a villein and blaming every thing wrong on him , in this blog the apparent villein is kind of Hindu Society and rituals, ( yes partially they are ) but the main point in keeping a widow women in misery is not any thing related to MCP, or Hinduisms but property the Man had left for his family, in old days when most were joint families, and individual ownership was not clear, after a Man dies it was beneficial for other men in family to dominate the widow and keep a control on all the property,
same kind of practice can be found in other religions also , in Islam ( in good families ) woman will be force fully maried to some younger man in same family, or otherwise sold in slave market, in ancient Rome and Greek civilization's all the property shall be transfered to Senet.
the real Problem behind most wrong things is human greed for 3 basic things, all other are just excuses so no need to blame any religion for any once misery.
Yes Now as times have changed, and most of the time when families are small and wealth distribution is well defined ( Widow getting all the belongings and Insurance money ) same greedy type people are taking face of social workers, and in fact looking out to search a wealthy widow to marry on name of womens liberation and social services, Evil( Greed ) is still there only he have changed side according to times.
Now Sati Pratha is banned by the Government. But still there are some more instances like.The widow suppose to eat only once a day, sleep on floor (on chatai). walk bare foot. get up early.
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marry
Blazeinfotech
@ Dhananjay,
My point of writing the blog on sati was not to argue what legally a widow is now entitled to. It is all about how well a widow is received in any social function. I took the example of the wedding of her daughter, there are many such other social gatherings where she is "nurtured" to be banned.
@ author
Correct,
My point was, every thing have reason and logic behind it, good or bad, and every reason or logic is created for benefit of some one again good or bad person
Sati pratha , was created (and so as social elenation) not because of God came down and written rules, but simply it was a greed to control the wealth of dead man, by rest of his family. (During time of Muslim barbarians, Hindu woman chose to die rather then disgraced by Invaders, this was a genuine good enough reason)
As society is changing, we our self should create new rules. based on natural law of eqality
For example,
My own sister was in US, at the time of naming ceremony of my baby girl.
My most elder sister (cousin) do not have any baby, I wanted her to name my baby ( in our family fathers sister name the baby )
many old people in family opposed the concept, but I got it done by forces. and now every one is convinced that it was a right thing to be done.
similarly in your example,
My point was the bride should have threatened to cancel the marriage if her sole parent is not allowed for her most important day of life.
if a thing is bad, and we know the login behind, then we should correct it, no use of cribbing later.
"Establishment" will always be bad and greedy. it will be on Individuals to follow there hearts.
Some things take a lot of time to change, I do know of a couple of instances where the Widow actually performed the Kanya daan.
Things would change, although it would take a lot of time in some cases, give it a few more generations and you will see it disappearing rapidly in cities. :)
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