3 short stories:
Story – 1
Geeta’s mother in law and husband died in an accident, both were cremated on the same evening. Her 60 years old father in law married a week after and started normal life all over again but sixteen years old Geeta has to live whole life in white sari, without any interest in life and bearing abuses. People say she should have made herself ‘sati’, because she brought bad omen.
Story – 2
Geeta – a teacher and mother of 3 well educated boys. She do all the household chores such as cooking, cleaning the home, washing the utensils in the morning then walks 3km to school and teaches at school for 8 hours, after coming back at 4pm she cooks, washes clothes, looks after the boys, then again cooks for night, washes utensils but before she lay down to bed at 12’o clock at midnight, she has to listen to her drunkard husband’s abuses of going 5mins before 9am, coming 5mins late at home from school, salt was low in ‘dal’, you don’t know how to cook even after 45years and sometimes have to bear the heat of slaps on her face. Crying she will go to bed and sleep hoping that next day will be bright but she won’t raise voice against all this, but will accept all this like slave because she believes in ‘pati -prameshwar.’
Story – 3
Cyan was in deep sleep when he was suddenly woken up by the bright light in the room at midnight, the light had made the environment of the room quite peaceful. What Cyan saw after waking up was an Angel sitting on his table and busy with the papers. He had never seen an Angel in his life and had never experienced such a peaceful environment in his room.
Cyan asked the Angel that what she is busy at?
Angel replied, “I am making a list of people who worship a God a most and I’m ranking them in the order of most loved by the God.”
Am I in the list? He asked again with curiosity and with burning desire of being there in the list.
Angel checked the list twice and said, “No”. “Do you worship the God like others do for day and night?” Angel asked Cyan.
“No, but I do treat people with equality irrespective of caste and colour; I fight for eradication of caste system; I fight for poor, help the helpless and encourage them to live life with dignity, and I also strive for equality in the society in all respects” replied Cyan keeping his voice low and thinking he’ll never be in the list of such people who worship God and are loved by God.
Okay, let me add your name in the last column and let’s see what God decides as the final ranking will be decided by the God, said Angel in order to console disappointed Cyan and disappeared.
Next morning, Cyan had almost forgotten about the incident but Angel came again to Cyan’s room at night and handed him the final ranking by the God:
- Cyan
- …….
- …….
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Caravan 
Dear Friends,
I studied the ‘practice’ of Sati. I notice some very noticeable features attached to this system:
1. There was no case of Sati in SC/ST or BC communities.
2. The widows from these communities were re-married instantly. They were not allowed/ subjected to isolation.
3. Only the Brahmans and their staunch followers like Rajputs practiced this system. So this obnoxious custom was not an ‘Indian’ custom. It pertained to micro communities.
4. What perturbed me the most is the fact that ONLY THE CHASTE WOMEN WERE SUBJECTED TO THIS CUSTOM. For example when Krishan died Rukmani was subjected to this custom but Radha was spared. (Both were ‘wife’ of krishan in the same fashion. He actually and factually married neither.)
When Dashrath died his three widows were spared, when Pandu died Kunti was spared but when Dhritrashtra died Gandhari was put to fire with her husband.
Ever pondered what was common among Radha, Kunti and wives of Dashrath?
Yes, they all had illicit relationship with Brahmans or their gods!
Can anybody quote an example where Niyogi-womwn was put to Sati-pratha?
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A dysfunctional family is most likely to pass on the traits of the dysfunction to the rest of their generations untill they realize that its not the way to live life.Its usually too late to make amends and while some people may have regrets, many dont.
Eduacation plays a vital role here but then, highly eduacated people are also hit by the abuse.
Its the shame felt by the victim that keeps the abusers going and the victim living in the vicious cycle of abuse.Its very difficult to come out of it.The first step is to realize that its abuse and then the most difficult part is to leave that situation.
I cant say anything about doing good and God will reward because I don’t believe in God.But I would say that do what brings peace to your mind and heart . If helping an old man cross the road makes you happy, then do it , but don’t do it because you are gaining points with God !
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Thank you ‘sheell’ and ‘Anon’..
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Very correctly expressed.. A person is always know by his deeds. No matter how much you pray, but nobody can escape the fruits of their deeds.
Treating human like human without any prejudice is the correct way of showing and respectng the life, making it worth calling life.
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