To be cruel, by one definition, implies a willingness to cause pain and an indifference to suffering. Going by this definition then, if an act is cruel then it might be assumed that a person is aware of the cruelty of his or her actions and yet, still carries on with it. This is simply about one person though. However, what happens if a cruel action and its consequences are shouldered by a culture or a country?
Abortion is highly controversial in today’s society even without adding the gender-based discrimination in the issue. Unfortunately, this is precisely what is plaguing India at present. Sex discrimination and foeticide go a long way back in India’s past though. But where killing girl babies happened at birth before, now sex-select abortions are being practiced. Recent census of 2011 showed that for every 1000 male babies born, 914 female babies are born. Ultrasound clinics can be found all over the sub-continent and many clinics are still unregistered. The Indian government is trying to come up with girl-friendly schemes but as the results have shown, they are not working to the advantage of girl babies. In addition, sex-select abortions are more common among the affluent, not the poor. The wealthier families are aware of ultrasound and hence, are able to have abortions if the woman is pregnant with a girl.
The prevalent question is if the problem lies behind the practice or the mentality. Even though having abortions after finding out the gender of the baby is a huge problem, the bigger problem is the reason behind doing such a thing. To put it simply, having a boy in a family is considered to be a boon and having a girl is seen as a curse. There is more than one reason behind this mind-set. Girls are seen as a burden because of the dowry requirements. Many people in India are poor and when they try to get their daughters married, the worry about meeting the dowry requirements haunts their minds. Another worry associated with this is that parents are concerned about whether or not their daughters will be well treated by the in-laws. The stories of bride burnings and domestic abuse run rampant all over the country. As is commonly practiced by many cultures, when girls in India get married they also take on the surname of their husbands’. Therefore, parents want boys to keep the lineage going and having girls is seen as a hindrance to that dream. The worst thing is that these actions that are a by-product of the culture are not seen as cruel and wrong. The few who speak up against these atrocities faced by girls are silenced by the centuries-old traditions and customs. As they say old is gold, right?
It is distressing that the mainstream, patriarchal culture forces women to pay the unfortunate price of suffering. From the moment of conception, women’s fate is sealed and more often than not, it is a downward spiral. Those who are fortunate enough to survive birth are still likely to face death due to neglect, abuse, or malnutrition. It is, in many ways, a man’s world. Women are so brainwashed that many believe they are not equal to men and they have a subservient position to men in society. From an early age, this view is imbedded in their minds and many spend their whole lives believing it to be the truth. They would not dream of raising an objection to the practiced cultural norms for fear of facing backlash. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the situation of women can’t improve. Laws that support women’s status in society need to be upheld. The integral step is to appeal to the psyche of each person. Until people’s mentality is challenged and the awareness of the injustice faced by women is publicized more, laws and economic sanctions can only do so much. Education has not served as a complete answer to the question of gender discrimination. People’s belief that women are inferior to men can be eradicated through enlightenment about equality between both sexes. People throughout India, in villages, towns, cities, all need to be targeted. Perhaps then, respect for women will arise in society and baby girls will be gifted the opportunity to have a future.
Monday 13 June 2011
Sunday 15 May 2011
On the Origins of Sikhism
During a discussion with my mom about religions and Sikhism in particular, I asked her what the foundations of Sikhism were. She could not really come up with an answer. So I casually started telling her about what I had gleaned from my readings. It is not often that a child gets to enlighten the parent about religion. Guru Nanak Dev was born to a Hindu family in 1469 and from an early age, it was obvious that he was an exceptionally gifted child. He was more interested in discovering the meaning of life. As he grew older, he became extremely disappointed with the clashes between Hindus and Muslims in India and he famously remarked that there is no Hindu and there is no Muslim. He created the religion of Sikhism in the hope that it would get rid of the differences between Hindus and Muslims. When Guru Nanak would travel, he would dress in a combination of styles worn by both Hindu and Muslim holy men. Upon his death, Hindus and Muslims fought over whether he should be cremated or buried. He believed truth to be the ultimate goal for each person and if that could not be achieved, then everyone should at least aim to lead a truthful life.
Guru Nanak also championed against all kinds of discrimination, whether they be caste-based or monetary-based. Everyone is equal in the eyes of God because we are all His creation. Who are we to judge and condemn others? When we go to a Gurudwara (Sikhs’ place of worship), we all sit on the ground and eat together. The reason behind this is to teach us that in the house of God, no one is poor or rich, and no one is a Brahmin (upper caste) or a Shudra (lower caste). The nine Gurus, after Guru Nanak, built on these teachings. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, founded the Khalsa brotherhood, which inducted men and women. To all Khalsa members, the rites of Sati performed by Indian widows and the killing of daughters were prohibited. He also said that women were equal to men and they did not require the wearing of a veil. In his address to the Khalsa audience he said, “And, between the Hindus and Muslims, you will act as a bridge, and serve the poor without distinction of caste, color, country, or creed.”
When Guru Gobind led an army against the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, he was not fighting a religion or an ideology. He was fighting to put a stop to the tyrannical control of Aurangzeb as the emperor was forcing Hindus and Sikhs either to convert to Islam or face the penalty of death. He was fighting for the independence and freedom of the people to be able to make their own choices.
Somewhere along the road, we have lost that. There is caste distinction within the Sikh community. The wealthy are given preference and having money is considered to be the “in” thing. This does not just apply to Sikhs, but to other Indians and to people in other countries worldwide. Being rich is equated to success and happiness. In the words of Frank McKinney Hubbard, “It’s pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness. Poverty and wealth have both failed.” I would like to add to this statement by saying that a person is truly successful when he or she is happy. Now, if that happiness comes from being rich, then so be it. On the other hand, if happiness comes from going home to your family and sharing a meal, then that’s also success. The important thing to remember is that we should not judge anyone. We can’t get inside their head and experience whatever emotion they are feeling or whatever has happened in their life. Also, we need to stop measuring wealth as a way of judging a person’s worth. A person’s worth lies in their actions, not in how much money is in their bank account. There is more to a person than how rich or poor he is.
Another point that should be mentioned is that in general, we fear anyone that is different from what we are used to seeing. This might mean someone who dresses differently from the norm, who has different customs, or who is from a different country. I have lived in four different countries so far (India, England, Spain, and the USA) and I have interacted with people from various countries and different cultures. I have come to the realization that differences can be embraced and enjoyed. There is so much to learn from others’ experiences and traditions. Also, it is a great thing to be able to share things from your life with others. You find out that despite all those seemingly big differences, we all share the mutual desire to love and to be loved, to be respected, to be admired, and to be accepted. So then perhaps, we are not as different from others as it might seem. And whatever differences there are, they should be celebrated and not fought.
Guru Nanak Dev was a revolutionary for he spoke against the accepted and established religious tenets in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century. So were the other Gurus. They led many Indians on this path of liberation from closed-minded conformity. It can be argued that just because something has been happening for centuries and is culturally accepted, it is not enough to make it right. Sometimes, you have to go against the mainstream culture in order to fight for justice. It is difficult for people to accept change and so, they will fight against it. In addition, it is difficult to adopt a new lifestyle or change an aspect of culture, because that is treading in an unknown zone and it can be daunting. However, when that change means that you are fighting discrimination based on caste, color, religion, or nationality, then it is an appropriate thing to do. As the Gurus have tried to teach us, we are all equal in the eyes of God. Therefore, we have to make a conscious effort to fight discrimination at every level, no matter how small, and realize that we are all human beings and we all deserve to be treated kindly, lovingly and respectfully.
Notes
Gopal Singh, “A History Of the Sikh People, 1469-1978” (Delhi: World Sikh University Press, 1988) , 289-290.
Frank McKinney Hubbard, “Quotations About Happiness.” Welcome To the Quote Garden, 1998-2011 (Accessed May 14, 2011).
Bibliography
Hubbard, Frank McKinney. “Quotations About Happiness.” Welcome To the Quote Garden, 1998-2011 (Accessed may 14, 2011).
Singh, Gopal. A History Of the Sikh People, 1469-1978. Delhi: World Sikh University Press, 1988.
Guru Nanak also championed against all kinds of discrimination, whether they be caste-based or monetary-based. Everyone is equal in the eyes of God because we are all His creation. Who are we to judge and condemn others? When we go to a Gurudwara (Sikhs’ place of worship), we all sit on the ground and eat together. The reason behind this is to teach us that in the house of God, no one is poor or rich, and no one is a Brahmin (upper caste) or a Shudra (lower caste). The nine Gurus, after Guru Nanak, built on these teachings. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, founded the Khalsa brotherhood, which inducted men and women. To all Khalsa members, the rites of Sati performed by Indian widows and the killing of daughters were prohibited. He also said that women were equal to men and they did not require the wearing of a veil. In his address to the Khalsa audience he said, “And, between the Hindus and Muslims, you will act as a bridge, and serve the poor without distinction of caste, color, country, or creed.”
When Guru Gobind led an army against the Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb, he was not fighting a religion or an ideology. He was fighting to put a stop to the tyrannical control of Aurangzeb as the emperor was forcing Hindus and Sikhs either to convert to Islam or face the penalty of death. He was fighting for the independence and freedom of the people to be able to make their own choices.
Somewhere along the road, we have lost that. There is caste distinction within the Sikh community. The wealthy are given preference and having money is considered to be the “in” thing. This does not just apply to Sikhs, but to other Indians and to people in other countries worldwide. Being rich is equated to success and happiness. In the words of Frank McKinney Hubbard, “It’s pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness. Poverty and wealth have both failed.” I would like to add to this statement by saying that a person is truly successful when he or she is happy. Now, if that happiness comes from being rich, then so be it. On the other hand, if happiness comes from going home to your family and sharing a meal, then that’s also success. The important thing to remember is that we should not judge anyone. We can’t get inside their head and experience whatever emotion they are feeling or whatever has happened in their life. Also, we need to stop measuring wealth as a way of judging a person’s worth. A person’s worth lies in their actions, not in how much money is in their bank account. There is more to a person than how rich or poor he is.
Another point that should be mentioned is that in general, we fear anyone that is different from what we are used to seeing. This might mean someone who dresses differently from the norm, who has different customs, or who is from a different country. I have lived in four different countries so far (India, England, Spain, and the USA) and I have interacted with people from various countries and different cultures. I have come to the realization that differences can be embraced and enjoyed. There is so much to learn from others’ experiences and traditions. Also, it is a great thing to be able to share things from your life with others. You find out that despite all those seemingly big differences, we all share the mutual desire to love and to be loved, to be respected, to be admired, and to be accepted. So then perhaps, we are not as different from others as it might seem. And whatever differences there are, they should be celebrated and not fought.
Guru Nanak Dev was a revolutionary for he spoke against the accepted and established religious tenets in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century. So were the other Gurus. They led many Indians on this path of liberation from closed-minded conformity. It can be argued that just because something has been happening for centuries and is culturally accepted, it is not enough to make it right. Sometimes, you have to go against the mainstream culture in order to fight for justice. It is difficult for people to accept change and so, they will fight against it. In addition, it is difficult to adopt a new lifestyle or change an aspect of culture, because that is treading in an unknown zone and it can be daunting. However, when that change means that you are fighting discrimination based on caste, color, religion, or nationality, then it is an appropriate thing to do. As the Gurus have tried to teach us, we are all equal in the eyes of God. Therefore, we have to make a conscious effort to fight discrimination at every level, no matter how small, and realize that we are all human beings and we all deserve to be treated kindly, lovingly and respectfully.
Notes
Gopal Singh, “A History Of the Sikh People, 1469-1978” (Delhi: World Sikh University Press, 1988) , 289-290.
Frank McKinney Hubbard, “Quotations About Happiness.” Welcome To the Quote Garden, 1998-2011 (Accessed May 14, 2011).
Bibliography
Hubbard, Frank McKinney. “Quotations About Happiness.” Welcome To the Quote Garden, 1998-2011 (Accessed may 14, 2011).
Singh, Gopal. A History Of the Sikh People, 1469-1978. Delhi: World Sikh University Press, 1988.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)