This is a story about two different women in different countries, different cultures. Two women who have never met before. Who will not share the same fate? Two women who experienced different extreme cultures were wrong.
One of those women was almost not a woman, but 18 girls. Her name is Roop Kanwar, she lived in a village in Rajasthan, India. About 7 months after her marriage, her life was a crematorium of her husband's funeral, and by witness it ended until death. A controversy took place due to her death, and the country was divided with religious superstition and misleading words.
The other women were one year earlier than Roop when they first contacted the same land, the same person, the same culture. A few years later she moved to India where she lives in the village along the river Ganges.
The other women are mine. I was born and raised in Australia, so I will never share the same fate as Roop Kanwar. Some people say that my care is lacking in true culture, and others may be right. Others say that I have the freedom of choice and the ability to avoid the same fate as Roop. They are right, too. There is something in both the East and the West culture, somewhere between Western corruption and moral bankruptcy and Oriental pseudospirituality, the fact that there is a truth that anyone can freedom remain. Roop Kanwar ...
I saw Roop's story for the first time in 1998. I lived in Jaipur. Her name will come up in newspapers and magazines anytime now. Five years later, I got a book titled Mala Sen 's "Death By Fire". That was Roop's story. It felt dissatisfied with me. That was not the fault of the writer but the story itself. The most obstructive thing was that most of the country was accepted, which somehow was "okay." The death of a beautiful young girl is the result of her purity and godliness, and seven generations around her are such violent and evil death. I concluded that only a twisted form of rich, philosophically powerful culture like Roop could allow such barbaric behavior.
Among Sen's books are "Satie: a study on the widening of widows at West Bengal", a definitive study of Satie, the practice of the widow banned by British in the 18th century As I lived in West Bengal at this stage, the topic was "local". I began to read Narasimhan's book with something uneasy. My concern was dual, it was a viewing angle from both sides of the fence. First of all, I was surprised at how much Narashiman's research was drawn from extreme feminist's point of view. Even with an understandable reaction, I could not solve the problems of Indian women. Second, from the opposite end of the discussion, I was based on a proper understanding of the scriptures quoted by those who were propagating the widow's prosperity based on what we call a "religious" position , Therefore Naraieman can discuss issues on a rational and logical basis without losing the religious confusion surrounding such problems.
I found Narasimhan's book to be attractive. She wrote a doctorate, was a published writer, a famous performer who toured India, and fascinated the audience with beautiful songs. She is a person with educational concern about the topic of a beautiful and feminine woman who had not compacted her bridge in her desire to justify the evil of a culturally distorted environment did. Her writing is based on a clear and fair understanding of the Bible that it is solid and that she was cited what she was claiming. Overall, this book was an attractive and refreshing approach to old and ugly problems.
After reading Narasimhan 's book, I noticed that she had important points that she missed. Because of the culture that rooted in the most complex and fine spiritual philosophy, nobody seems to understand it well. That was not provided as a solution to the disease faced by the country. That made me wonder what the culture of this country claimed to pursue. In fact, it is the decisive foot of the accelerator heading towards the materialistic Mecca of the West far away from the spiritual roots that have been tied for a long time,
What should we offer Western culture that demonstrates Roop Kanwar's argument that it is "advanced" rather than the culture made this way? Women in India are subject to protection of ancient culture, but such a story is evidence that discrimination is prevalent. To make matters worse, it goes beyond all religious boundaries, thereby immediately recognizing the truth with every religious department of the social class. The added hypocrisy is difficult to swallow: probably on which country on the planet A country that follows stricter moral principles suffers from the fact that he does not want to recognize human frailty, or loses it, he misrepresents them as "spiritual strength". The case of Roop is a sad reflection of culture that she believes a woman who can not be enjoyed by her husband or her husband may burn in the crematorium of his funeral. Her other alternative was that Roop was living a lacking life with social status, according to the neighbor. Shaving her head, wearing a white sarris, fancy food (basically the rice and dahl in the rest of life) In fact, she can not see again in the public, water from the village Please do not let children who can not even draw out well, at religious festivals and public events. Her existence would have thought that the whole village was unpleasant - the fact that she kept alive would be enough to bring all the bad fate to the inhabitants of the village. In other words, even if she lives, she is considered "dead". Such a conclusion seems to very closely resemble the doctrine of a considerate spiritual culture and it is not permissible to think that the Western culture is more advanced.
However, humans share common experiences regardless of the boundaries of culture, country, and body design. The surroundings may be different, but the pain is the same. The only difference between women's eyesight in the west and the east is that Westerners with the concept of homosexual independence and gender equality can usually escape. Roop Kanwars in this world has no option.
I got married shortly after I met my first husband at the age of 19. I do not know why I went so fast, but I remember my first punch. They thought that it was the expression used by people when they said "when I saw a star in front of me" when they hit. That is not the case. The contents of my head swam in the dark and dark darkness. In the presence of my eyes a gun battle star exploded and my movement slowed to an astounding pace. That was the first time he broke my nose - it was not the last. We had a rifle at home. And I knew in the morning that I was about to use it on him one morning. If I did not work, he will use it on me. I decided that he was not worth the time in prison, but since I certainly did not deserve to die, I left him. I have never seen him since then.
But it was an overnight surrounded by terrible fears that I could hardly reproduce. So I will not repeat it as an observer. It looks like it happened to others, in a way it was. I am no longer a girl who passed this, but at Roop Kanwar I saw it again.
I do not remember details of how it happened. I just remember going home. My husband left him wherever he was. Because somehow he had to learn that he could not speak like me. He traced long before, but this time I thought I was ready for him. The house was closed, which made him even more angry. He broke open the window to break the window next to the entrance, took out the bolt, grasped my wallet and key and ran away from the backdoor in front of me. I ran across the road and hid in the bushes. He is afraid of hearing my voice. I have not noticed my neighbors late. I was worried that he would find me, sitting in the bush, scared of breathing, I know he meant that and I know if I want to live It was. I sat and prayed. That was all I could do. Finally, anger relaxed, he left the house, walked down the street and disappeared in the evening.
I did not hesitate. As soon as I ran toward the house I opened the trunk of the car, twisted it open and ran through to collect as much of my belongings as possible. I clog the trunk full, clapped the lid, stuffed in the back seat and drove it off the drive. I will drive two hours to a nearby city. I was thousands of kilometers away from my family, I was in a town where no one knew. But I came out. I had a car, but I had money. I had a way to save myself. It is much more than most Indian women have. According to "culture" in India, I am a corrupt woman. But at least I am alive.
There is not much difference between Roop's situation and me. Were I thrown in the fire? It is certainly not the case, but it does not deny the principle that women live in fear of their lives in their countries. People who claim the strength of culture to respond to their needs are as dangerous as atheistic and material countries that do not seem to have cultural grounds. What lessons and inspirations do Western women desire to derive from such a culture? Is there anything that can be offered to women in the West?
Rajasthan, the home country of Roop Kanwar, is a country that recognizes "purdah", that is veil, and still occupied a big position. Women are always veiled and rarely seen publicly. The arrangements of their lives were different from men and their lives were based on a closed women community. Jaipur's last reigning queen, Gayatri Devi, was a woman who traveled a lot, decorating the Vogue's cover. I led the list of "the most beautiful women in the world". I rubbed my shoulders with British royal family and American society. When John F. Kennedy entered into politics, Guinness Book claimed that "There was a majority of phenomenal women everyone won in elections." Originally Princess of Cooch Behar in Bengal Province, she married Jaipur royal family as the third wife of governorate Saatman Shin, known worldwide as Jai Singh. He was brilliant, handsome and romantic person. A team that swept the world with social and sports sacrifices at instant headline makers, Jaipur's Poppon Maharaja, London, Paris, Rome and Monte Carlo. When Gayatri Devi married Jai, he already had two wives. The two observed the perfect purdah. He wanted to lead women from what Gaya Tree perceived as overwhelming situation. She devoted her life to liberation of women throughout India. Her life was lightly touched by the Pada, but she said in support:
"For Westerners, it is difficult to understand why women are completely satisfied with despairingly boring and claustrophobic beings when looking from the outside. It is difficult to understand why large families, children, As grandchildren, care for children, cooking, sewing, care, as a young bride, she decided to learn the way of her husband's family, and eventually the way like mother and grandmother Authority and her responsibility is increasing She will never be without a companion, she will always be needed. [the women's quarters]I had all the limits, but there was depth and solid compensation. "
Gayatri Devi strongly points out the development of women's internal community. This female autonomy is part of the original Indian culture known as the Vedic culture, and there is a more positive explanation about its advantages over feminist debt lending than women. Women are balancing with a strong support group of friends and advisers about what they can do honestly as women in India do. Such a support network also serves to alleviate the stress that a man becomes all the sole provider. This is truly unusual. A person pursuing it, or a person trying to solve it, inevitably disappoints. Of course, this does not mean that we are never held in our men. The ability to become all things women need is a Hollywood myth that is repeatedly propagated to all forms of media. Unfortunately, most of the world has been withdrawn from such myths. Our condition becomes serious and our response, our choice will be influenced. We are a product of nurturing, definitely.
To Roop Kanwar, the past is impossible for all of us. For those suffering in a similar way the future may not look any bright that is in the west and the east. I have no solution. Probably no one of us will. Things like the Indians will tell you, it is simply karma.
However, from the high street in London to the downtown of Sydney, I do not think that planets around the world are now the taste of this year. In pursuing all things in India, we will investigate not only the richness of fabrics and interiors but also more elaborate elements of ancient culture in more detail. Somehow I feel Roop appreciates such a positive approach.
