Hinduism and Gender bias
The fundamental tenets of Hinduism is a very superb it is more
about concepts meant to make life of a soul in its journey through body
enjoyable, comfortable and enlightening with philosophical attitude with
scientific study of life's unraveled mysteries and freedom to question anything
and everything including the existence of divinity.
It is a religion which has so many gods and goddesses to
represent personification of certain qualities, desirable characters,
intelligent operators, good Samaritans, protective guards, resource suppliers,
knowledge imparting individuals etc.
Androgenic or andro centric or misogynistic attitude itself was
not anywhere part of Hinduism in its original form.
The beauty is that it offers a very wide space for all curiosities,
feelings, expression - a religion with goddesses, a religion which never
consigned sexual expressiveness as a taboo but on the contrary created a huge
scripture and also sculptures in temples which were the equivalent in terms of
importance and frequency of visits and utilization like internet now.
But unfortunately the vested interest groups and middlemen
marketeers of religion developed lot of rituals calling it as discipline and
gradually some of them got engraved as unquestionable tradition or practice to
be followed.
For the vested interest groups these rituals gave both a
livelihood and also identity- so they have introduced all these taboos and
conditions and carefully crafted them as traditions with the ulterior motive of
establishing a concrete status quo, cooked up justifications not necessarily
always rational or logical.
So all these sorts of recently scripted taboos like women cannot
do this or that are mere gender based, to be precise gender biased edicts which
must be evicted from the minds in the interest of Hinduism.
Despite all the prejudice against women that they have helped
the androcentric social system in Hinduism to survive is itself a testimony to
the tolerance of women but that cannot be tested too much for too long nor can
be taken for granted forever.
The gender bias, mostly disadvantageous to women happen not only
outside in society at large but it starts at home, at school. Even small girls
are not allowed to sit as they feel comfortable at school or at home. Why being
born as /in a particular gender subject one to unwanted restrictions anywhere
more so in a place of worship.
In the following slide do not miss to listen to the wonderful
discussion in point number 8.
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