Sometimes it looks funny when the head and face is covered with ghunghat, but the belly is visible in the middle. I laugh at them, where is the shyness, where is the dignity. Is it evrything ok, when the identity is hidden? I like a ghunghat only for the brides, that looks brilliant on them.

Why do some section of people feel that to maintain dignity a woman should hide her face? For how long should we allow such ancient practices to continue? Are women who do not hide their faces indignant creatures who need to be reprimanded?

Dear Dr Dahiya

Ghunghat is a residual norm from the medieval ages- it is fast vanishing and there is alot of hope.
May be the first question to ask the villagers who do such cultural policing is- have they curbed drinking,card playing, loafing and other such evils in men, that desrve immediate attention?
Next, ask them if a bahu who is decent without purdah not better than a bahu who abuses through the purdah?

Where have they reached after woman bashing- look at China- their women being liberated get gold for them in Olympics- half of the golds are lost to our country because of this denial of opportunity to women.

Last, can a Tau spend even a day in purdah or a single day at home without the joys of camraderie at neighbouring chauppal?

Women have no time for themselves, what to say of friends- women do not need to socialise because only a Man is a Social Animal

Divya

Sasmita ,Arpita and Divya ji

Thanks for the wise comments. In Panjab we donot have this custom . Do Panjab has gone down in development?

Basically it is to keep the women in Patriarch control.
Personally I walked 6-7 steps in Ghunghat and fell down badly.

Another thing is that a myth exists that Ghunghat came in India after Muslims came to India. Historically it appears to be wrong. Ghunghat in this area was earlier than that.

R.S.Dahiya

Dear Dr Dahiya

I agree had Muslim invaders been responsible Purdah would have vanished after the restoration of peaceful times.Most conservative Hindus persist on it but middle ages being bygone the excuse does not hold. They also say dowry was a bride’s gift- all these were beautiful or reasonable practices. My question as well as yours is - if the context has changed why not the text? or r the hindus so damn scared of any one who comes their way that they r ready to compromise the liberty of their women as well as themselves for the sake of fake security?

Why could not Muslims/Arabs put European women behind viels or burqua?

There r so many muslim women who defend burqua- and each to his’her own but i do not see a reason for Hindu men to defend purdah- if Hindus r unlike muslims i do not see a lot of differnce- the difference is only between conservatives and moderns; orthodox and liberated- its a question of mind- religion just sharpens the edges.

divyajyoti

Devyaji
You are very much to the point.Problem is that Navjagran when it was in full sewing in some parts of the country, it was at low ebb in Haryana at that time. A new Navjagran is the organic need for the social reforms in the society. But who will bell the Cat?

R.S.Dahiya