Stop Nepali Hinduism From Discriminating Against Women!

[Guest guest]

[An editorial by Bhumika Ghimire, a freelance writer based in Indiana,

USA. Originally from Nepal, she is a graduate of Schiller University,

Florida. She is a contributing writer on International Business at

http://internationalbusiness.suite101.com/ and is surrently

spearheading apetition campaign to prosecute Maoists in Nepal for

their human rights abuses at

http://www.petitiononline.com/maoists/petition.html ]

 

July 2006: As a society changes through time, its culture, beliefs and

social systems need to change. Otherwise there will be an imbalance

which has negative effect in the society, it's people and its growth.

 

The Nepali Hindu society has now entered a defining moment in history.

After the nations' historic April revolutuion, which essentially

brought down the monarchy and declared the nation secular, the people

now have the task of rebuilding nation. Until the rveolution, Nepal

was a Hindu state, with majority of population being Hindus. So the

task of reforming the nation should start with the largest group of

people.

 

Following are certain practices and beliefs which need to be reformed

or removed if we want Nepal to progress as a modern society:

 

1) The ritual of animal sacrifice should be stopped immediately. This

practice is inhuman and cruel. In name of religion we as a society

cannot promote cruelty.

 

2) The practice of discriminating women when they are mensurating

should stop. I know the supreme court has outlawed this but then it is

not be honoured. In my home (while in Nepal) I was not allowed to

enter the kitchen, go to the temple or touch anyone while I was having

my periods. Yes I accept the blame for promoting this draconian

practice and I promise I will not go dumb when this happens again.

Every Nepali family should understand that mensuration is a normal

bilogial process and does not make one "un-pure". This whole concept

of discriminating mensurating women was developed to ensure that women

didn't value themselves, that women felt they are inferior.

 

3) The practice of dowry should end. For my wedding my parents didn't

spend much on dowry because we would be living in US and it was not

possible to bring everything here. Still almost all wedding in Nepal,

dowry is a big issue. The groom's side often ask for certain items or

certain amount of money. In terai region, brides are tourtured, killed

because of dowry dispute. If a bride doesn't bring enough dowry, she

is often humiliated by the family members who then force her to ask

more from her parents. This is extortion.

 

4) Then there is the plight of widows. As I mentioned in [another]

article, widows are at the bottom of Hindu society, even below the

untouchables. She cannot wear red, has to give up eating meat (if she

is a non-vegitarian), she cannot wear makeup. Widows are seen as sign

of bad luck, so they are not invited in ceratin cermonies during a

wedding. Family humiliation and society's torture is another thing

they have to bear. In contrast if a wife dies a man is a free bird.

Some even marry immediately after the customary 45-day mourning

period. This is height of discrimination and cruely againt women.

 

5) Caste system should be abolished. In fact (this is extreme), no one

should be allowed to write their last name which would represent their

caste. For example, I am a Ghimire, so I am a brahmin (the so-called

higher caste), so I should not write my name as Bhumika Ghimire.

Instead of a caste based last name people should write another name as

last name. For example, Bhumika Laxmi (Laxmi is goddess of wealth).

 

6) Everyone should be allowed to enter a temple. The untouchables and

people from other religions should not be barred.

 

7) Discrimination against single womern, childless women and women who

don't have sons should end. A widow should be allowed to remarry,if

she desires. I know there is no legal provision against widow

re-marriage but then the families still do not accept this and take

this as a sign of promuscuity or betryal.

 

Above all, we should amend all the religious texts which say men are

above women or which promote discrimination,from Manu Smriti to the Vedas.

 

SOURCE: American Chronicle, Beverly Hills, Califorbia. Copyright:

Bhumika, 2006

URL:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=11126