Hindu Muslim Sisterhood
This
morning I shared an expose on Hindu monogamy and then got thinking.
On paper
Hindu women have as many, if not more rights than Muslim ladies. The key words
are: ON PAPER.
As a matter
of fact, how many women actually claim their inheritance? How many ask for khulla (Islamic divorce
asked for by the lady)? How many get it or divorce if married under the Special
marriages Act?
A man doing
reluctant ‘justice’ to an unwanted wife would be perhaps more distasteful than
total neglect. Dealing with a ‘saut; is
never a pleasant(Sic) exercise. Social and family pressures are as onerous on
both sides.
Instead of
pointing fingers at each other, it may make more sense to come together as a
sisterhood aiming at enlightening society to the incremental benefits of a more
level playing field between men and women.
In this, it
is women across all social and other divisions who can play a decisive role as mothers
and grandmothers in instilling in tender minds respect for all, especially the
female of the species; teaching our boys that their sisters are their
equals, that bhabhis, cousins and later
wives are not for bullying and beating etc.
Cut out all that bull about stepmothers,
about saas bahu and bhabhi nanad, about aurat hi aurat ki dushman etc.
etc.
That new
outlook could perhaps even rebound onto the older men … at least some, if not
many?
New Year
mean new beginnings, doesn’t it.
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