Bio-wise and otherwise

She rocks the world

Today is International Women's day and I woke up with a song in my heart. Bought a few roses to for the lovely ladies in my team. Started attending Gita classes in the morning- somewhere in one's life charter, it suddenly seems a good time to start a chat session with the Headquarters.

The average Hindu reveres Goddesses with as much devotion as the Gods. We have days of the week dedicated to  Lakshmi, the Divine Mother who passes down wealth and happiness to those who seek it sincerely. Of course, many believe in the the non-dualistic philosophy, where God and Man are One. Nevertheless, everybody gets to choose an 'image' to worship, from the generous pantheon of Gods and Goddesses.

Strange then, that in a land where Goddesses are exalted in their position, a widow is placed in the bottom rung of the societal ladder.

Deepa Mehta's movie 'Water' has brought to light one such tradition wherein widows are discriminated against in a heart-wrenching fashion.

'Water' takes us back to the year is 1938, when India was ruled by the British, and it was around this time that Gandhiji started his battle with the British, as well with the traditions that bind the Hindus. Young Chuyia is married to a much older and sickly male, who dies soon after. Chuyia is returned unceremoniously to her parents' house and from there she is taken to the holy city of Banaras to be left in the care of a group of widows who live at "the widows' house," shunned by the rest of the community. Chuiya meets several elderly women and Kalyani, a beautiful young widow.

Innocent Chuyia does not know that according to Holy Hindu Scriptures she has been destined to live here for the rest of her life, for when a woman's husband dies, she has three options: One, to marry her husband's younger brother, if his family permits; two, to kill herself on his funeral pyre (a ritual called Sati); three, to live a life of celibacy, discipline, and solitude amongst her own kind. Widow remarriage was a law that was just coming into force. In the movie, Kalyani meets and falls in love with young Narayan, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, who wants to marry her, despite his mother's protests. The story weaves on and opens our eyes and hearts to the world of these tormented women. In a land where the pure water of the river Ganges flows on ever so gently, it is ironical that widows who live around the holy river are treated so harshly.

Cut to real life. I vividly recall my grandmother insisting on shaving her head when grandfather died. Thankfully, we prevented her from getting rid of her lovely silver locks, but we could not stop her from giving away all her beautiful clothes and taking to plain white in a big way.  Grandmum may have tried to adhere to meaningless rituals such as these, but she was also a woman of great integrity. She supported the Gandhian philosophy and wore only homespun cotton. She traveled third class, in trains, just to keep a spirit of equanimity with the poorer strata. She'd have the courage to intervene to stop a man battering his wife at a nearby slum. Oh yes, grandmum was a great role model. She never had an earning to speak of, but she had guts aplenty.

Times are rapidly changing today, in India. A woman can earn her money and speak her mind. She can balance her career and marriage. She can be the role model for millions of girls who need guidance along the meandering path of life. She can let go of dogmas and reinvent her spirit to suit changing times.

So let's celebrate this freedom. Freedom of making relevant choices. Not so much to burn bras but to burn meaningless beliefs and prejudices. And let's hope that more and more women join this Freedom wagon.

Every woman deserves roses and chocolates, diamonds and dinners, for it is SHE who rocks the world with her charm and compassion.

Happy Women's Day.

 * I would like to thank Rahim for taking the time to edit this piece.

Posted at 02:24AM Mar 08, 2007 by Manju in Sun  |  Comments[3]