Traditional Blindness!
The more views this post of mine gets, the more are the chances of me facing the wrath especially from the likes of Sooraj Barjatya, Ekta Kapoor and their followers. Contradictory to your thoughts, I am not thrashing the genre of movies and serials they produce (that will require me to write a book than a mere blog post). The thing which I am going to express has been going in my mind since years. Finally, I have found time to explode this thing onto my blog, without giving a damn to the criticisms and gaalis!
Before starting off, I would like to make myself clear that I have deep respect for Indian culture and traditions. However, there are some beliefs and practices which appear to me as plain stupid or illogical. I am not one of those huge majority of Indians, who unquestionably and blindly follow some beliefs despite being aware of its absurdity. So, here’s the list of those practices or beliefs which I find trashy: -
Husband-Worship: A husband and a wife are considered life partners. They are two people who have decided to stay together since they love each other (in most of the cases I suppose). If this is the case, then why the hell is the wife expected to give a Godly status to her husband? Why does the society make the husband look superior to his wife by promoting beliefs like Pati parmeshwar hota hai and Patni ki jagah pati ke charanon mein hoti hain? The man is not doing any ehsaan on the girl or her family by marrying her. After all, isn’t he in need of a wife just like the girl is in need of a husband?
- Right-Hand Theory: Innumerable times during my childhood I was ordered not to use my left hand while accepting prashaad or money. Yes, I know the left hand is used for some ‘other’ thing but don’t we wash our hands or take a bath after that activity? So what’s the big deal in using that hand? It’s just a part of our body yaar! And if the hand is considered so inauspicious, don’t use it for any purpose and just keep it reserved for ‘that’ activity. If discrimination amongst people on the basis of religion, region or caste isn’t enough, we also have discrimination between our body parts!
- Karvachauth Hangover: After following innumerable number of movies and serials, these wives keep Karvachauth Ka Vrat for the long life of their husbands. But the big question remains – why only the wife prays for her husband’s long life and why not vice versa? And by the way, how can anyone be a fool enough to believe that such a thing actually increases someone’s life span? What biological changes does the body experience that increases the life expectancy due to this bloody vrat?
- A Curse in Disguise: It is annoying to see phrases like ‘Sada Suhagan Raho’ and ‘Akhand Saubhagyawati’ being considered as the most auspicious of blessings. It is indirectly telling the girl, “Bhagwan kare tere pati ke pehle tu mare!” How can you hope or wish for someone’s death? Or do these people still believe that a woman won’t be able to live alone even in today’s era? You talk of women’s liberation but at the same time keep promoting such curses. Why not a single pro-women group has ever raised its voice against such a ghastly gender bias?
Today, modernism is only limited to clothes, appearance and way of speaking while the thinking continues to remain backwards courtesy these beliefs. Our society will be truly modern only when logic and equality will rule every institution and phenomenon. Until that time – Andhera Kaayam Rahen!