Would Shri Veeramani care to read this?
Credit to the NT Bureau in Chennai for this story: “Gita and Ramayana will be burnt, says Veeramani“
“Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) president K Veeramani has warned that the sacred book of the Hindus, the Bhagawad Gita and the Indian epic Ramayana, would be burnt as part of a demonstration to be organised soon.
Participating in the Maniammayar birth anniversary day celebrated by the party’s women’s wing as Women liberation day, Veeramani…alleged that Ramayana, one of the oldest and well known epics of the world, besmirched women.
…The DK leader also said that the Bhagavath Gita and Manusmruthi too denigrated the women folk. Hence, a demonstration would be held soon and these works would be burnt to ashes. The place and time would be announced soon, he said.”
As I was mulling a response to this, I came across Shachi Rairikar‘s brilliant comment on Ivarta on this subject.
Some excerpts:
“While, it cannot be denied that some parts of these scriptures might appear to be detrimental to women’s interests when viewed in the present context, it is important to note that the consideration of the social conditions prevailing at the time when these were composed thousands of years ago is inevitable for a fair and just analysis…
It is also equally important that we realize that most of the social injustice that we have encountered in the past and continue to battle against in the present, is not entirely due to these scriptures. While a small share of the responsibility may be transferred to the scriptures, the greater burden lies with their incorrect interpretation by selfish humans who managed to convert situations to their own benefit owing to their positions of power.
Moreover, the basic crux of these scriptures is not denigration of women. The Manu Smriti, which is allegedly averse to the cause of women empowerment, has laid great emphasis on holding the women in honor. “Where women are honored there the gods are pleased; but where they are not honored no sacred rite yields rewards,” the Manu Smriti declares. Such respect for the feminine has not been as readily visible in the Abrahamic faiths. “A woman’s body must not be struck hard, even with a flower, because it is sacred,” says Manu, the ancient law-maker. It is for this reason that Hinduism does not allow capital punishment for women.
The Ramayan is the national epic of India….The Bhagavad Gita is said to be the most beautiful philosophical song in any language…Men and women from all over the world have drawn inspiration from it. (see also this article from BusinessWeek: “Karma Capitalism“)
Is it not puzzling why Veeramani has chosen only these great Hindu scriptures for disgraceful treatment?
It is well known that the religious books of the Semitic faiths, especially the Quran of the Muslims and the Bible of the Christians, accord women a secondary position, denigrate women far more than any Hindu scripture…. The Quran requires the woman to be covered from the head to the toe, gives the testimony of a woman only half the weight age as that of a man, authorizes the man to have multiple wives, whom he can divorce by uttering a single word thrice…Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a leading figure of the early women’s rights movement wrote about the Bible, “I know of no other book that so fully teach the subjection and degradation of women.”
But Veeramani does not dare to inflict similar insults on the Semitic scriptures. Is it that he is not aware of the derogatory attitude towards womanhood in these texts? Or is it that he is aware of the well-known tolerance of the Hindus who would swallow dishonor without protesting, while their counterparts in the Muslim and Christian community are not as thick-skinned and would go to any extent to register their objections and protect their honor? Or is it because Veeramani is another domestic Hindu face of the prosperous international anti-Hindu lobby which has found safe home in the sold out, so-called secular quarters of this country?
Or is it because Veeramani knows that the secular UPA government of India would pay no heed to the hurt sentiments of the majority Hindus who form 85% of the Indian population but would take instant action to protect the sentiments of the privileged 15% of the population who are called the Muslim and Christian minority? Past experiences show that whenever the slightest disrespect was shown to Islam in any part of the world, Muslims all over the world protested, most often violently.
When a cartoonist in Denmark made some cartoons of the Prophet, Muslims in India carried out violent protests and the Indian government communicated its concern to the government of Denmark because the act had hurt the sentiments of a section of Indian population. But no violent protests happened and the same Indian government took no action when the Hindu sentiment was brutally hurt due to the demolition of temples in Malaysia and Kazakhstan. Also, the person who made obscene paintings of many Hindu gods and goddesses and even the national deity Bharat Mata continues to enjoy the honor of the second highest civilian award bestowed by the government of India in spite of the gravely wounded majority sentiment.
Will the cause of woman empowerment be served by the burning of few religious scriptures that have done greater service than harm to the mankind, in general, and the Indian society, in particular?
Veeramani’s action does not seem to be sincerely inspired by the cause of women. It seems to be just another excuse to defame Hinduism. Is Veeramani’s hatred for Hinduism so great that it leaves no scope for any prudent analysis, for the consideration of hurt sentiments, for better ways to work towards women empowerment? Or are the rewards of denigrating Hinduism so great that any kind of introspection seems worthless?”
*****
and finally, some basic quick bullet points:
- Equality of sexes is a modern is a modern ideal that is yet to be realized in our own times, even in modern, developed, western societies .
- All traditional and ancient societies, and all organized religions gave an unequal status to women and men (and yet Shri Veeramani chose to single out Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana in his speech…Was it deliberate or incidental, I dont know)
- However there are facets of women in Hinduism which reflect the status that was accorded to them. e.g.
- Hinduism alone of all the current organized religions worships God in ‘His’ feminine aspect and
- there has been a strong and continuous tradition of women saints, seers in Hinduism and Hindu texts speak of learned women with a profound knowledge of scriptures; Hindu women philosophers are also known to have participated in debates (e.g., Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
More at http://jitnasa.india-forum.com/Docs/HinduWomen_CAtextbooks.pdf and http://www.india-forum.com/articles/64/1/Hindus-fight-discrimination-in-California-textbooks-%96-1
Well, more of the same (cultural illiteracy) from politicians.
Ramayana may not have done any favours to women, but there is a reason why Irawati Karve focused on women in Mahabharata, while writing her book ‘Yuganta’ (which we had as course material in my MBA, and which I have also read in original Marathi). The exploitation of women was far more widespread in the latter.
I also agree that there isn’t an equivalent of the Ardha-Nareeswar in any other religion, nor so many female Goddesses in any other religion (pantheic mythology not being the same as religion so Greek comparisons not quite right).
Just as a historic point – the ‘purdah’ concept was not wide-spread before a certain Mehmud of Ghazni came to India. That was also when ‘jauhar’ (probably an early ancestor of ‘sati’) came into being as a way for women to save their honour..
Enough said, I think..
Hi,
I agree with you on the points that you have raised. We must interpret all these scriptures in the context of the social conditions prevalent at the time.
By calling for the burning of these scriptures, this politician is actually calling for burning his political career to ashes. The 85% of the Hindu populace is not going to like this – whether the scriptures ‘besmirch women’ or not.
Hindus are known to be tolerant about several things, but nowadays, they have also been known to retaliate: Case in Point is the Godhara massacre. This fellow should know better.
Meanwhile, check out my post at http://madhavighare.blogspot.com/2007/03/equality-of-sexes.html which is based on the topic of ‘Equality of the Sexes’ – kinda inspired by your post and has some feelings about the scriptures mentioned in your post.
Empowerment of women is something we all need to work on – sure! But apart from men, women need to work on it too! In my experience, most of the times, it is a woman who is responsible for another woman’s social problems. More than men, women need to remove the ‘inferiority complex’ from their minds.
Blaming men for their lot is a damn easy way out for all women.
Why don’t women do something about their own situation in the first place? Why do women put themselves in such a position? After they become capable of taking care of themselves, why don’t they actually do that?
To quote from my post:
“Cut to the present scenario in urban India, where women are supposedly ‘equal’ to men: We still want the woman to cook and work without creating doubts about her ‘character’. Meanwhile, when a woman goes out with a man for dinner, she still wants him to pay the bill.
We still can’t do it, can we?”
Wonderingly,
Madhavi.
people like veeramani need to be mercilessly crushed out of our society…he will keep barking and harrassing us till we hit back… cant 100 hindus/ 10 hindus protest this arraogance and hit back?
he is like a molestor who feeds on the collective silence of the Hindus… the day we hit back will start his doom and the doom of his friends in shining armour – a la Karunanidhi , Communists and the like
Shefaly: Good point about the status of women during the Mahabharat-era…You have probably heard (and read) Maithili Sharan Gupt’s “Andha Yug”…
…and thanks for making the point about “purdah” and “jauhar”
Madhavi: Thanks for your comment. I am not sure whether Shri Veeramani’s political fortunes will be adversely affected by this…(his political constituency is quite different from the 85% Hindus, I think)…Had a look at your post…interesting point about the “inferiority complex” in women…and I agree that “Blaming men for their lot is a damn easy way out for all women” – just kidding…but I suspect that you have a more serious point here – about self-reliance, confidence and having a personality of your own (- if I have understood you correctly)?
Dr Surya: I share your sense of aggravation and frustration…what more can I say? we canonly hope that better sense prevails at some point…
Shantanu: Maithili Sharan was perhaps one of the most ‘liberated’ male poets, but the pathos in his and some other poets’ works that focus on women is more heart-breaking than inspiring..
I think Irawati Karve’s book is doubly strong in that it is a woman’s interpretation of what the women characters’ motivations and thoughts might have been. (I think she was a Pune-kar and the Karve Road in Pune might have been named after her famous father-in-law..) She has also written a book titled “Hindu Society – an interpretation” which might interest you if you already haven’t read it. Thanks.
It is encouraging to read Sachi Rairikar’s eloquent and coherent response to ( DK president)VK Ramani’s well publicised intention to burn copies of the Gita and Ramayana at a “date and time to be anounced soon”. I was further heartened to read viewers comments on her article.
The calibre of thought displayed by both the author and the readers indicates the beginnings of an intelligent challenge by Hindu sisters to the various assaults and insults regarding the role of women within Hinduism and Hindu society.
Mr Ramani’s proposed intention of book burning is an empty and rhetorical gesture from the head of an organisation (Dravidam Kazagham Kazagham) which has lost its way in terms of TN politics in the 21st century.
What is more worrying is the way the media has responded in taking up this issue of the burning of our sacred books- yet another symbolic twig upon what anti-Hindu forces deem to be the pyre of Hindu Dharma and Hindu society
Although we must deplore Mr Veeramani’s declared intention to burn the Gita and Ramayana “for besmirching women”,let us take note of what he says about men taking more responsibility for domestic chores in the Hindu household .
As India increasingly falls under the spell of urbanization and Western globalization, the pressure mounts for Indian households to bring in two incomes simply to survive on a daily basis.
It is already happening in Western countries much to the detriment of the well being of their individual citizens,family life and society.
As globalization exerts its relentless force amongst India’s urbanized middle classes, the pressures on Indian women to balance domestic responsibility with financial /work committments is becoming increasingly acute.
Whilst the woman in the family has expanded her portfolio of tasks ,the male head of the household still ambles comfortably along adhering to the outmoded expectation that he is only responsible for financially supporting the home leaving everything else to his wife’s ministrations.
Such a situation will provide a receptive atmosphere for Western feminist thought to take hold and set down roots . This will prove in the end the demise of Hindu and STRI-dharma as we know it.
Unless ,that is ,Hindu women take it upon themselves to develop new ways of thinking of how to give meaning to their womanhood within contemporary Hindu society with all its economic, social and psychological challenges.
It is the stated goal of the Western feminist movement in the 21st century “to improve the situation of women in non-Western countries”.
This declaration eerily echoes the erstwhile Catholic Pope’s claim that the 21st century belonged to India and to the “harvest of souls” within her.
We should be afraid , very afraid. Will that fear then galvanize us into action?