Sir,
The article “Sociology of Karva Chauth” DE 08.10.2017., made an interesting yet resonated a sense of misinterpretation. It further compels a reader, to plunge or immerse in a feeling that this ritual has originated from outside of our country and we must try hard & fast, to get ourselves rid of it. The author is very right in pointing out this alienates the widows and puts them on a lower pedestal of happiness which may further add to their sorrows & a persistent desire or craving, especially for something unattainable.
What fails a reader to understand further, is that how this festival of Love and expression, brings down a married woman in her stature or level of achievement & respect.How a symbolic expression, borne out of free will, and perhaps a strong bond of love, does amount to admonishing the younger or newly wed women and can ever be linked to patriarchy, that withholds opportunity from women. We seem to be happy and propagate the idea of expressing Love openly on “Valentine’s day” every year,even between the married couples,holding hand in hand and exchanging lavish gifts but condemn our own legacy which is an outcome of our great culture, where a married woman keeps fast till sunset and breaks the same by the time moon rises in the horizon and prays for her husband’s long life. It seems that we wish to destroy everything that evokes a nostalgic sense of tradition or history at the cost of forward thinking.
Also, it is important to understand that the dimensions of love & faith cannot be measured by yardstick of logic & observational hypothesis. This fast, does not necessarily guarantee long life to a husband but surely, helps in further, to manifest a mutual bond, in which both the members share a twinkle of mutual love & care, readily perceived by the eye or the understanding but beyond the paradigm of logic and abstract thought.
Yours etc…
Susheel Tikoo
AL Khuwair
Muscat – Oman
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