Karva Chauth debate
My two pennies' worth on the recent trending topic of Karva Chauth:
(P.S. Long post. Do not bother to read if you are genuinely not interested. I sincerely do not welcome comments on the length of the post. You may choose to debate on the content though!)
Since the past few days Facebook has been flooded with posts bashing the ritual of Karva Chauth and also the people who observe them have been often given rude names. "Feminists" have called this an oppression against women folk. Apparently modern women who are educated enough and still observing it are being accused of propagating this "regressive" ritual.
Where have all these activists been when women (and men) have been fasting during Navratri? People fast during Navratri to seek the blessings of God for the welfare of their family. What is it then if women fast for a day (actually, it is not even an entire day) for the welfare of their husbands? Just because it is a tradition that has been followed for years by the Hindus and has no counterpart in Western culture (and hence not validated by the West), one cannot and should not call it regressive.
Whether one chooses to fast or gorge on food, is entirely his/her wish. If one is aware that fasting for a day may lead to health complications, she may be advised not to fast. But at the end of the day, it is her choice. Who are we to brand her and her actions?
As long as one is not causing hurt or inconvenience to others by one's actions, it is absolutely okay to do anything that one wants to (provided of course, it is legal). One can argue that if somebody wants to end his/her life, we should not intervene then. Well, at least in our country, suicide is a crime. So indeed we can and we must intervene.
Equating fasting for Karva Chauth to something as grave as Sati is also not too correct I suppose. Sati was something which was mostly forced. Young widows would be drugged, hands tied and then dragged to the pyre of their dead husbands. Sati involved killing of a healthy individual. Fasting for a day does not kill. Detox regimens often use fasting as a step.
Fasting has been an integral part of Hindu culture and traditions. Branding someone regressive for following a religious belief that is not harmful to individuals is like interfering in a person's religious beliefs. Such brandings, by the same logic, should also be done to people who have vegetarian food on Tuesdays/Thursdays etc. Why then does one need to jump and attack only the tribe of women who preferred to fast for 15 hours? If they find mental peace, let them be! Christians fasting during Lent, Muslims fasting during Ramzaan are acceptable to this tribe of activists; the only problem that they have is if it is some Hindu women who are fasting? Isn't it hypocrisy?
There are numerous other issues that can be addressed right now. For instance, domestic violence. This same brigade which is going out of their way to criticise women for fasting on Karva Chauth would have done a whole lot of good to women and the world by directing their hyperactive energy into solving more pressing issues like domestic violence, child labour, trafficking, etc.
Call me regressive or anything that you want, I will continue fasting before my Ashtami anjali and Bhaifota rituals. At the same time I will also pursue my scientific education. Being modern does not mean uprooting oneself from one's cultural/religious/traditional views.
My two pennies' worth on the recent trending topic of Karva Chauth:
(P.S. Long post. Do not bother to read if you are genuinely not interested. I sincerely do not welcome comments on the length of the post. You may choose to debate on the content though!)
Since the past few days Facebook has been flooded with posts bashing the ritual of Karva Chauth and also the people who observe them have been often given rude names. "Feminists" have called this an oppression against women folk. Apparently modern women who are educated enough and still observing it are being accused of propagating this "regressive" ritual.
Where have all these activists been when women (and men) have been fasting during Navratri? People fast during Navratri to seek the blessings of God for the welfare of their family. What is it then if women fast for a day (actually, it is not even an entire day) for the welfare of their husbands? Just because it is a tradition that has been followed for years by the Hindus and has no counterpart in Western culture (and hence not validated by the West), one cannot and should not call it regressive.
Whether one chooses to fast or gorge on food, is entirely his/her wish. If one is aware that fasting for a day may lead to health complications, she may be advised not to fast. But at the end of the day, it is her choice. Who are we to brand her and her actions?
As long as one is not causing hurt or inconvenience to others by one's actions, it is absolutely okay to do anything that one wants to (provided of course, it is legal). One can argue that if somebody wants to end his/her life, we should not intervene then. Well, at least in our country, suicide is a crime. So indeed we can and we must intervene.
Equating fasting for Karva Chauth to something as grave as Sati is also not too correct I suppose. Sati was something which was mostly forced. Young widows would be drugged, hands tied and then dragged to the pyre of their dead husbands. Sati involved killing of a healthy individual. Fasting for a day does not kill. Detox regimens often use fasting as a step.
Fasting has been an integral part of Hindu culture and traditions. Branding someone regressive for following a religious belief that is not harmful to individuals is like interfering in a person's religious beliefs. Such brandings, by the same logic, should also be done to people who have vegetarian food on Tuesdays/Thursdays etc. Why then does one need to jump and attack only the tribe of women who preferred to fast for 15 hours? If they find mental peace, let them be! Christians fasting during Lent, Muslims fasting during Ramzaan are acceptable to this tribe of activists; the only problem that they have is if it is some Hindu women who are fasting? Isn't it hypocrisy?
There are numerous other issues that can be addressed right now. For instance, domestic violence. This same brigade which is going out of their way to criticise women for fasting on Karva Chauth would have done a whole lot of good to women and the world by directing their hyperactive energy into solving more pressing issues like domestic violence, child labour, trafficking, etc.
Call me regressive or anything that you want, I will continue fasting before my Ashtami anjali and Bhaifota rituals. At the same time I will also pursue my scientific education. Being modern does not mean uprooting oneself from one's cultural/religious/traditional views.
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