For how long women would be fooled by moon and men?

Few nights before, numerous women fasted for their husbands, partners and boyfriends and waited for moon to lit sky and celebrate hunger, slavery –legacy of the patriarchy. Indians are regressive no doubt but to what extent, that no one questions. when any international organization claims that half of Indians are hungry. All the stake holders cry about the report and calling it the shame for the country that roars of being the super power. When the country is said to be hungry, it is the matter of shame, then how can ‘hungry woman’ for her husband be the matter to flaunt off.

So what it is that makes Karva chauth –fasting by women for men survive in this age of women empowerment? Or is it other way round because the women empowerment has not emerged as yet that’s why we have such customs still prevalent?

Let us go into the matter for two classes of women, one women who still are not empowered in terms of education. Health and speech or any kind of freedom and choice and second all those who have been able to get through the freedom and choices in life of all kinds.

A woman who is barely educated, even if she ever had talented where she could have been independent-Marriage has diluted it all. Such women hardly have choices to select their own partner; they are tied to a stranger for a life time. She loses her identity and becomes free worker to her husband (master).she carries out all the chores, she gives her husband food, sex and heir. She carries out all the customs for her husband. karva chauth –one of the most important ritual a woman performs for her husband. If institution of marriage is about equality where a man and a woman are partners? then why is it that woman has to fast for her husband, touch his feet( touching feet is regressive) ,she has been taught husband is your lord, one bows down in front of master or lord never partner. Partnership or friendship is equal, where nobody is supreme. Hence it proves in India marriage system is undemocratic, unequal and inhuman.

An uneducated woman devoid of all choices easily fall prey to marriage –which is said to be the ultimate goal of a woman’s life. Can one imagine what physical and mental trauma fast can become for a already malnourished, anemic woman who has been deprived of good nutrition since childhood. If she hails from poor family based in city or village, there are higher chances she ever ate well in her life. In her parent’s home she was considered temporary member who has to go to someone else's house. They are not breast fed properly in infancy and in teenage most of them become anemic. Then they marry, in her husband’s house she is considered an outsider, here again she cooks for every person in the house and eats in the last and eats the leftover. Can one imagine how woman’s sacrifice and hunger is considered to be ‘greatness’? Then there is karva chaauth where she will fast for entire day, will cook for everyone except herself and until her husband and moon in the sky appears she will not drink water.

When all that happens, her husband might gift her saree, or make up items-thinking this all she requires.

Yes in India woman exists only for beauty, makeup, shopping, cooking, for sex, for reproduction. Education, employment, health, freedom, choices, development are only for men.

This woman does not question she comes on earth hungry; she survives hungry and dies hungry.

Now talking about privileged women and why they too fall prey to marriage and still perform rituals like karva chauth ? First of all-in India education does not liberate you, innovate you or allows challenging things said by so called gate keepers of the society. Thus, may be some women get education and employment but they live and survive in same regressive societal set-up, where men rule. She might not cook, or do regular chores for she can afford worker, but then when it comes to culture and religion, she is enslaved, she practices what she has been asked to.

Some of the women who marry rich and go to kitty parties for them karva chauth is fun where it is opportunity for them to rob their husbands and get inexpensive diamonds and things that will make them “beautiful, young and enviable among other women”.

Young girls in fashion fast for their boyfriends, not knowing next year they will have to do same for another one. Because at pace so called love happens in Internet-led society it’s inevitable. But while they do it even if in fun and fashion, they are unknowingly making patriarchy strong and supreme.

Let us question this karva chauth. Let us question moon. Let us question hunger.

If not now, then when?

How long women would be fooled by moon and men?