Yesterday was Hindu festival of Karva Chauth in which women keep fast for long and healthy life of their husband. I wish to contest the very idea of this festival on following two grounds:
1) It is Patriarchal: Why only woman fast for well being of her husband? Can anyone please tell me of a single day in year when man is suppose to fast for wellbeing of his woman? Perhaps it is because of the patriarchal setup in which a man can marry for second time if his wife dies while wife can not remarry that easily and would have to suffer socially stigmatised widowhood, that a woman cares more about wellbeing of her husband than man does for his wife.
2) It is Irrational: What exactly fasting and not drinking a single drop of water by one person has to do with wellbeing of another fellow? I fail to see any cause and effect relationship in it. "Oh, you just dont know infidel,there are few things beyond your stupid logic, good god (who has written in advance the destiny of my husband) will be pleased by my fasting and alter any bad fate if it were about to happen in future" shouts a believer woman. Well this god must be a sadist if it is pleased by a person's hunger and thirst. By the way, when hitler killed 11 lakh people in Germany, most of them fiedal who prayed earnestly to god to save them till last movment, where your god was? "Oh god of chirstians and jews is impotent, I am talking about my Bhagwan".Ok where was your bhagwan during the famine of bengal, where people fasted for weeks since they did not have anything to eat and prayed to god to save them from death and yet millions died. How are you so sure that a god who does not listen to pleas of 27000 mothers of different religions(whose children die every day because of poverty) will listen to your request?
Note: I am not against social customs. But almost all customs are inegalitairan and irrational in nature. So i find responsbility of viciously attacking them befallen on me.
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Bravo!!! very good
ReplyDeletethis article was the need of the hour,specially in the wake of commercialisation of these patriarchal customs.
ReplyDeletestill,patriarchy and religious superstitions cannot be eradicated by alienating their victims and giving lectures.
isn't it better to respect their intellect as human beings and engaging at an egalitarian level.aren't we all part of this patriarchal,casteist,class sctructue?
1) U seem to be a man of deep thoughts. and obviously believe in studying. If you go back in time, you will find our society was not always patriarchial. But since change is the only constant thing, we changed. We again will.
ReplyDeleteNow if that change brings evil, youngsters like you and me are capable enough to counter it. I dont endorse the stigma faced by women but i do stand by my traditions...! And that is the reason why i love my sister and pledge that no harm may come her way till i am alive on Raksha Bandhan, Or Bhaiya-dooj... or thats y people fast for days in honour of Maa Durga during Durga-puja:- a festival which originated just to honour the sacred feminine.
2. Why do we blame god for what comes in our way? If Hitler killed lakhs of people and none of the other humans came in his way, how is it mighty God's fault?
Its a matter of personal belief and choice. If somebody feels good by the existence of a supernatural power, who are we to deny him that pleasure? Just because we believe in god doesnt give us a license to be immortals and never die..!
Have started following your blog. Will look forward for more..!
Prasanth Says: There is something in tradition which goes like, 'a woman for a man'. How dare!? Shouldn't it be 'a man for a woman', to be politically correct?
ReplyDeleteOkay, to be honest, you are just speaking rubbish. These women fast because they believe it's good for their husbands. There is nobody there to force them to fast.
And you really can't blame patriarchy for everything under the sun.
MY REPLY to prasanth: That was the question i raised. Why they do believe so? and Is such belief rational in any way? Do u understand force inherent in process of socialisation and the role of customs in creating a belief system so wide spread? Big government coerces, Big society instills. Beliefs are not formed and choices are not made in free air. Try to understand things in context.
ReplyDeletePrasanth Says: Well, you are just applying your beliefs on others. Beliefs are subjective, and what you consider irrational needn't be the same to everybody around.
ReplyDeleteI might consider a woman's decision to stay unmarried as irrational, while she may not find it the same. It's subjective after all.
What actually should matter is whether coercive force is involved.
And just because everybody around you believes in customs which you don't accept doesn't mean you are coerced into following them. That's like saying no guy should wear a Rolex because you can't afford it.
Beliefs orginiate through intuition but the true/false of them can be judged, to the extent evidence is avilable, using reason. So beliefs are not totally subjective. Beliefs must have some logical basis otherwise they are called superstitions.
ReplyDeleteCopernicus and voltaire did not force people to accept their beliefs. Rather they questioned them rationally. Questioning beliefs and their basis is not coercion. My friend does karva chauth, i show her stupidity of it but dont force her to not fast(can never do).
Suppose a child asks from its mother "God exists?" Mother does not reply "Some people believe in it, some dont. When you can, do check thier reasons for doing so and then decide your position". Rather she retorts "yes it does" and she tells horrible stories whose only credential is she has heard them from her mother. This way she puts half at least and false at most info in her child's malleble brain. You might not see coercion in it but i do. What we dont need is dogma of theism or atheism but posi tive scepticism of an agnoist in matters where evidence is not avilable.
You are content with thinking "since they believe it they do it and let us not meddle with it". But to me, beliefs do not orginiate in free air. They form, change and die within the particular socio-economic framework and level of scientific awareness. Once people used to believe that sacrificing a human being is necessary to please the gods, kings have unalienable right to rule, slaves are born to be slave, sun revolves around the earth, wife should immolate herself at pyre of her husband, dalits should not be touched, brahmans are to be worshipped and whole lot of bullshit, (which even their victims believed, such is power of customs). Someone questioned them, got burnt at stake, others exiled and abused but slowly these beliefes have given place to better ones because of logical questions raised by heretics. So why should i not raise questions about what i consider inegalitarian and irrational? And how exactly it is "applying on others"?
I would like to bring a light over this , well i showed this blog to my own cousine!! , I asked him to have a read of this and I was disappointed but at the same time was not much astonished with his respond- "'why the hell karva chauth?' look again what are you reading! how can you believe in such immoral ideologies!!" this was what he said. with this i wanted to exmplify that how girls are conditioned! how conventional ideologies are ingrained within the psychology!!!!! and if one dares to have a different then one is made to succumb someday or the other . Well personally i would never ever submit to patriarchy but not everybody is the same!!!:(
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