Re: Gita and Ramayana will be burnt, says Veeramani

http://indiacause.com/columns/OL_070315.htm

Women
By: Shachi Rairikar

March 15, 2007
Views expressed here are author's own and not of this website. Full
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(The author is a Chartered Accountant working in a software company
in Indore, M.P., India and manage www.indpride.com)

Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) president K Veeramani has alleged that
Ramayana, one of the oldest and well-known epics of the world,
besmirched women. The DK leader also said that the Bhagavad Gita and
Manusmriti too denigrated the women folk. Hence, a demonstration
would be held soon and these sacred scriptures of the Hindus would be
burnt to ashes.

Though Veeramani's endeavor does not come across as a surprise,
because there have been similar demonstrations by so-called feminist
groups in the past, it cannot be conveniently ignored because it
would bring great pain to millions all over the world, especially the
majority of the people of India without genuinely serving any
purpose.
While, it cannot be denied that some parts of these scriptures might
appear to be detrimental to women's interests when viewed in the
present context, it is important to note that the consideration of
the social conditions prevailing at the time when these were composed
thousands of years ago is inevitable for a fair and just analysis. It
would be grossly incorrect to put the ancient scriptures to test
within the parameters of modern social standards.

It is also equally important that we realize that most of the social
injustice that we have encountered in the past and continue to battle
against in the present, is not entirely due to these scriptures.
While a small share of the responsibility may be transferred to the
scriptures, the greater burden lies with their incorrect
interpretation by selfish humans who managed to convert situations to
their own benefit owing to their positions of power.

Moreover, the basic crux of these scriptures is not denigration of
women. The Manu Smriti, which is allegedly averse to the cause of
women empowerment, has laid great emphasis on holding the women in
honor. "Where women are honored there the gods are pleased; but where
they are not honored no sacred rite yields rewards," the Manu Smriti
declares. Such respect for the feminine has not been as readily
visible in the Abrahamic faiths. "A woman's body must not be struck
hard, even with a flower, because it is sacred," says Manu, the
ancient law-maker. It is for this reason that Hinduism does not allow
capital punishment for women.

The Ramayan is the national epic of India. With numerous translations
in vernaculars, the Ramayana has become an inspiration for millions
of Hindus. Mahatma Gandhi praised the Ramacaritamanas of the 16th
century poet Tulsidas as the greatest work in the entire religious
literature of the world. The Bhagavad Gita is said to be the most
beautiful philosophical song in any language. It has been read daily
and recited by millions across the vast expanse of India over the
centuries. Men and women from all over the world have drawn
inspiration from it. Mahatma Gandhi had turned to the Gita for light
and guidance in times of crisis.
Is it not puzzling why Veeramani has chosen only these great Hindu
scriptures for disgraceful treatment? It is well known that the
religious books of the Semitic faiths, especially the Quran of the
Muslims and the Bible of the Christians, accord women a secondary
position, denigrate women far more than any Hindu scripture. The
Quran requires the woman to be covered from the head to the toe,
gives the testimony of a woman only half the weight age as that of a
man, authorizes the man to have multiple wives, whom he can divorce
by uttering a single word thrice, concubines and women slaves while
there are no such provisions for the woman, who is expected to be
faithful to her husband and adultery is gravely punishable. The Bible
in its teachings degrades women from Genesis to Revelation. It
perceives woman as a possession of man. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a
leading figure of the early women's rights movement wrote about the
Bible, "I know of no other book that so fully teach the subjection
and degradation of women." She was of the opinion that the Bible and
the Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of
women's emancipation.

But Veeramani does not dare to inflict similar insults on the Semitic
scriptures. Is it that he is not aware of the derogatory attitude
towards womanhood in these texts? Or is it that he is aware of the
well-known tolerance of the Hindus who would swallow dishonor without
protesting, while their counterparts in the Muslim and Christian
community are not as thick-skinned and would go to any extent to
register their objections and protect their honor? Or is it because
Veeramani is another domestic Hindu face of the prosperous
international anti-Hindu lobby which has found safe home in the sold
out, so-called secular quarters of this country?

Or is it because Veeramani knows that the secular UPA government of
India would pay no heed to the hurt sentiments of the majority Hindus
who form 85% of the Indian population but would take instant action
to protect the sentiments of the privileged 15% of the population who
are called the Muslim and Christian minority? Past experiences show
that whenever the slightest disrespect was shown to Islam in any part
of the world, Muslims all over the world protested, most often
violently. When a cartoonist in Denmark made some cartoons of the
Prophet, Muslims in India carried out violent protests and the Indian
government communicated its concern to the government of Denmark
because the act had hurt the sentiments of a section of Indian
population. But no violent protests happened and the same Indian
government took no action when the Hindu sentiment was brutally hurt
due to the demolition of temples in Malaysia and Kazakhstan. Also,
the person who made obscene paintings of many Hindu gods and
goddesses and even the national deity Bharat Mata continues to enjoy
the honor of the second highest civilian award bestowed by the
government of India in spite of the gravely wounded majority
sentiment.

While it is true that all religious texts in the world might be
interpreted to have some positive and negative values, it is certain
that none of them were created with a bad intention. All have their
share of good and bad, highs and lows but none deserve to be burned
to ashes. The good definitely outweighs the bad, the positive
overcomes the negative and that is probably the reason why these
ancient texts remain relevant thousands of years after they were
conceived. Though some parts of these scriptures appear to be
outdated in relation to the dynamics of the ever-evolving social
structure, but these cannot be sighted as reasons enough to show
insult to the great works that have been the pillars around which
civilizations grew and prospered.

Will the cause of woman empowerment be served by the burning of few
religious scriptures that have done greater service than harm to the
mankind, in general, and the Indian society, in particular? Will the
ashes of some of the greatest works on philosophy, spirituality and
morality that have been the guiding stars to the Indic civilization
since times immemorial make the lives of the millions of Indian women
any better? Will the insult shown to most revered scriptures not
deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian women, a large majority of
whom are highly religious and have undaunted faith in their religion
and culture?

It is a well-established fact accepted by scholars all over the world
that in no ancient culture, civilization or religion of the world,
were women held in so much esteem as amongst the Hindus. Hinduism is
the only religion that places the Feminine on a par with the
Masculine in the profound concept of Shiva-Shakti culminating in the
image of Ardhanarishwar. It is indeed an irony that under the pretext
of women's liberation Veeramani has chosen to abuse a religion that
elevates woman to the position of divinity.

Veeramani's action does not seem to be sincerely inspired by the
cause of women. It seems to be just another excuse to defame
Hinduism. Is Veeramani's hatred for Hinduism so great that it leaves
no scope for any prudent analysis, for the consideration of hurt
sentiments, for better ways to work towards women empowerment? Or are
the rewards of denigrating Hinduism so great that any kind of
introspection seems worthless?

Shachi Rairikar