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CARING FOR OPPRESSED INDIAN WIDOWS
ABC-RADIO-AUSTRALIA'S VIDEO ON THE PLIGHT OF INDIA'S WIDOWS
THE FATE OF HINDU WOMEN - WIDOWS IN PARTICULAR <> SUBORDINATION, DEPRIVATION <> HUMILIATION <> VILIFICATION <>
EXTERMINATION <> INDIA'S SHAME
PLEASE HEAR THE CRIES OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF INDIA'S WIDOWS AND GENEROUSLY SUPPORT THROUGH PAMELA KUMAR, NEAR CNI COMPOUND, REDMA,
P.O. DALTONGANJ, PALAMAU, JHARKHAND,
INDIA 822101
WHAT MAKES THE INDIAN WIDOW'S PLIGHT DIFFERENT FROM
THAT OF A LEPROSY SUFFERER's ?
As you may observe by surfing other aspects of this web-site, there are issues, beyond those of Widows and Orphans, that are eating my heart out. When I first came in contract with a leprosy sufferer, I could not imagine any form of human suffering that could be more traumatic and horrendous than that endured by the victims of what many would prefer to call "Hansen's Disease". Leprosy is often referred to as "The Living Death" and it was from a leprosy sufferer's lips that I first received a desperate request to put him out of his misery. Yes, he asked me to kill him. He said, "I can endure losing fingers and toes, hands and feet but what I cannot tolerate is to be cut off from the human race through rejection". Some prisoners have been known to express a preference for a flogging than to be placed in solitary confinement for an indefinite period of time. This is because the human species was never meant to remain isolated from kith and kin. We humans are social beings.
Isolation, ostracism and rejection as experienced by many Indian widows is no different from that experienced by those once so cruelly called "lepers". Prevailing superstition existing thoroughout much of India, even in some of the cultured "Upper"- Caste sections of society, intrinsically associates a widow with the demise of her husband, blaming her for his death, even though medical reports and autopsies may give the true facts . She - a totally innocent person - is reduced to the status of a social pariah . What justice ? What does India's legal system have to say about this ?
From where does India inherit such chauvinistic arrogance that would condemn a person to such inhuman treatment? For any compassionate person who has empathised with a Indian widow, it is not difficult to understand just why so many of them, until recent times, "chose" to commit
"S A T I",
A BARBARIC HINDU PRACTICE OF BRAHMINIC OPPRESSION OF WOMEN
and extreme cruelty - a type of "ethnic cleaning" of that day - which we shall study in more depth, further down the page. Suffice it to say that the "undignified" nature of a brutalised Hindu widow, is familiar to all as a person stigmatised because of no fault of her own. Could there be anything more blatantly unjust? Why Hindu theologians do not cleanse their scriptures and culture of this diabolical religious sanction of "S A T I " , is more than I can understand because it simply plays into the hands of male Hindu fundamentalists and dehumanises devout Hindu women who take their scriptures as divinely inspired.
India is a signatory of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, meaning that, along with other issues, slavery is prohibited by law, and yet, in the form of widows, there are millions of slaves existing in India today - innocent victims who have no way of defending themselves - and no longer an "escape" through "Sati" - because society has come to accept their miserable plight as -- "all part of our Tradition and Culture "! For those who abuse widows, it's a Vulture's Culture !
If India is to maintain some measure of integrity within the family of democratic nations, women, and widows in particular, must be treated with respect and total equality with the male species.
No longer must a male think that he has a right to abuse his wife. Some husbands think they have a right to beat their wives because they need to be "disciplined" ! What happens when the husband needs to be disciplined ? Does the wife have a right to beat her husband ? Not according to some sections of Indian society which considers the woman to be the "possession" of the male - a "thing" to be abused at will.
From where does such male dominance arise ? I dare to say that most oppression of women stems from religion - the fundamentalist forms in particular - and there are few, if any, of the major religions which treat women with impartial respect and allow them to reach their full human potential, in total equality with the male species. The Islamic religion is perhaps the most guilty of the abuse of females, but the Hindu faith is not far behind, with Christian fundamentalism also setting a very poor example. It would seem that males have not only used their extra physical strength to dominate women, but also their use of religion as a very powerful weapon.
In ancient Hindu law, a woman's husband is a sort of God and, in fact, the Bengali word for "husband" - "Shaami" - literally means "Lord and Master" (Swaami") In view of that, what chance does a woman have? From the start, male religionists have invented and used a code to keep their female spouses under control, often while they, themselves, commit sexual misdemeanor. The Laws of Manu also required that a wife serve her husband with utter dedication, in spite of any misfortune she may experience within the marriage union. Total subservience is enjoined and the ultimate expression of such complete marital devotion was expressed in "Sati", which, happily has recently been declared a crime, to the disappointment of Hindu fundamentalists who use such "sacrifice" for pecuniary purposes and as a means of appropriating more male power.
In some communities, a Hindu widow is not expected to progress beyond that point where she was before her husband died. If, for example, she had a B.A. at the time of becoming a widow, she is not expected to go on to get a Masters degree in order to support her children. To pursue a higher academic level is considered by some to be an "insult" to her dead husband !. She has to surrender all her precious works of art, painting, decorative crafts - anything that may take her mind off her dead husband ! She has to surrender all her beautiful saris and dress in white and spend the rest of her days doing menial chores in the kitchen and laundry. None of these sacrifices are demanded of the widower who has lost his wife. In fact, if he so desires, he may marry again, and again, and again, and again, just as he may will !
If a widow choses to remarry, she will be committing what some Indian societies would consider an "unforgivable sin" ! And yet, some have freely chosen to remarry as this is considered by them the best way financially to survive and avoid harassment and rape. However, a remarried widow sometimes imposes a stigma on her younger sisters who may find it difficult, if not impossible to marry. Are you saddened by all this? There is more to come. If you think the Islamic brutalities against women are diabolical, check out the :-
GENOCIDE OF WOMEN IN HINDUISM - MORE TO SHOCK YOU
In some areas of Indian society, a widow chooses not to re-marry but is forced to live with the younger / youngest brother of her deceased husband for "protection", a crime which condemns her to a life-time of repeated rape. Non of these traditional rules which are imposed on widows, are used to govern the behaviour of males / widowers. Such discrepancies, discriminations and inequities must be abolished if India is to reclaim her prestige as a Nation of Tolerance.
Some widows who are fortunate to have a pension and property are forced to surrender all these assets to be "administered" by the senior male member of the family to use as HE wills with no consultation with the widow.
THE STATUS OF INDIAN WOMEN SINCE INDEPENDENCE
Happily, since acquiring freedom from British colonial rule, in 1947, India has taken her place in the world as an independent nation, promising women a brighter future, at least in theory. The Indian Constitution is actually far more liberal than those of many nations which have been governed by "democratic" systems for many years. India has produced a female Prime Minister, female governors, magistrates, university professors, brain surgeons, airline / Air-Force fighter pilots, to name only a few areas where women have been able to claim an equal place with the male species, however, in general, and specially when it comes to women of "lower" (yet with equal potential ) rank in society - those of "low" caste communities - women have a long way to go to reach the full human potential for which they were ordained.
Much of the restriction imposed on women stems from religion, because most religions are male-dominated, having dogmas that are the invention of male priests, pundits, mullahs and theologians. Their gods also are mostly male and they use religion to exercise dominance over the female species. This chauvinistic behaviour has prevailed since the beginning of the human race. Islam is perhaps the worst religion to denigrate women. It will take another 1000 years before we'll see a female Pope, if ever, and, in Hinduism, if a woman is extremely lucky, after first dying, of course, she may be reborn a male, but her luck runs out if she is not reborn as a Brahmin. Women in the past (and occasionally in present times) were "fortunate" in being able to make a short cut, through Sati, to achieve Ultimate Reality ! Religious males who devise such repulsive, cruel schemes for female enslavement, should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. So subtle is the behaviour of these religious oppressors, that most claim to "honour" women, allowing them to rise even to "sainthood", but always subordinate to the male species ! What hope is there for Women - and Widows, in particular ?
HOW MAY WE ELEVATE WOMEN TO THEIR RIGHTFUL STATUS - EQUAL TO MEN ?
During the 31 years we spent in India and Bangladesh, our burning passion, more and more, became centred around the needs of women and particularly widows. We are grateful that, from time to time, the nation's conscience is pricked into action, resulting in conferences to remind us that, although the Indian Constitution places a woman on an equal platform with the male species, all her legal rights are nothing more than a scrap of paper. Although the "Hindu Succession Act of 1969" gave women eligibility to inherit property on an equal basis with males, few, if any women, are able to execute that legal right. Who will fight for the rights of a widow to have ownership rights, to be able to mortgage her property, sell it or give it away ?
We had hoped that the more benevolent and charitable aspects of Hindu society would launch a strong campaign against the abuse of women and widows in particular and we are happy that some caring activists are now demanding that the Constitution have priority over the religious practice of S A T I . However, we still find that some Hindu fundamentalists are blaming the plight of Indian women / widows on the invasion of foreigners, particularly the Muslim invaders and actually "glorifying " the diabolical ritual of "S A T I " as though it were a special means of attaining Ultimate Reality. The Dowry system, Bride Burnings, Male-Dominance and other evil practices are said to be brought into India by successive waves of enemies from abroad. You be the judge !
Before we go too far into the problems faced by Hindu women / widows, we should explore the tragic condition of Women in the Islamic World because the repression they suffer if far more grave than that of their Hindu sisters, although the THREAT against women in the Hindu Scriptures is greater than that in the Koran. For women, religion in general - right across the board - has been
MORE OF A CURSE THAN A BLESSING.
**** BIBLIOGRAPHY - CLICK HERE ****
DONATIONS (cheques in the name of "Pamela Kumar")FOR THE DESPERATE NEEDS OF BIHAR / JHARKHAND WIDOWS MAY BE SENT TO :-
Mrs. PAMELA KUMAR
NEAR C.N.I. COMPOUND,
REDMA,
P.O. DALTONGANJ,
PALAMAU DIST.
JHARKHAND,
I N D I A - 822101
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