Ever
wondered by looking at the females who keep veils (ghoonghat) on their faces
all the time. In veiling practice, facial veiling observed by married women is
known as laaj. Literally it means “to
keep modesty, shame and honor”. Just imagine how their life is when they have
to perform all household chores and even has to strive in fields as well, still
there is no respect and they get domestic violence as their reward. I don’t
know they use veil to hide their faces or their emotions. Their life is much
worse than the women residing in cities. No doubt, females are always considered
at lower strata than men even though they owe a higher position than them but,
the situation is worse in villages. Even in Bible women are regarded as
property of men.
I
had closely observed the life of women (especially married ones) in few
villages of India. I wonder how they survive in such conditions, may be they
had adapted themselves to that environment but it’s far more difficult to
manage to work with a long veil on their faces. Their day starts early in the
morning when even dawn doesn’t appear. Starting off their day with cleaning the
home, serving their flocks which include goat, cows, buffalos etc. and then
preparing the meals for whole family (where minimum members are 5-7 and much
larger in a joint family). No matter they are unwell or ill they cannot enter
their kitchens without having a bath. After serving whole family whether they
have their meals or not they have to report in fields. In between they have to
take care of their kids. Again after returning home in evening when men says
they have tired their so called wives rush to prepare the evening meal. As most
of the remote villages have no electricity service they have to manage in flame
of lamp. Here too a rule that first males of the family will eat after that
females can have their meals. After all these finally they end up the day by
satisfying their spouse in bed, and again same cycle repeats. Generally females
are expected to associate only with kin or companions approved by their
families and to remain sexually chaste. The importance of veiling is not only
limited to family but it involve restriction on female activity and access to
power and utilization of resources in a patriarchal society.
Some
elders say that veiling tradition is made to protect females and
daughter-in-law from evil eyes of others which include relatives and elders.
What does this reflects? That female is not safe in their own home, they have
to keep veils to protect their chaste and dignity. Lady who doesn’t put a veil
is taken as showing a sign of immodesty and willfulness. Sometime I wonder why
men can’t close their eyes if they see something that seems inappropriate,
instead of putting restrictions on her and guiding what to wear.
In Buddhist Mahayana literature, Lalitvistara
sutra written in 3rd century CE young bride Yashodhara objected to
observe veiling. She was criticized and gossiped by people. When she came to
know about this, she came before the assembled court and defended herself by
giving following statement- “Those whose
thoughts have no cover, no shame or decorum or any virtue, those who gossip,
may cover themselves with a thousand garments, yet they walk the earth naked. But
those who veil their minds, control their senses, and have no thought for any
other except their husband, why should they veil their faces?” This
statement is worthy enough that we need to put restrictions on thoughts and
minds rather selecting particular type of attire for a selected portion of
society. In my opinion Women do not raise their voices to get their rights due
to following reasons- economic dependency, physical strengths, tenderness towards their kids and feminine
nature which believes in forgiving. They have acquired the character of hiding their emotions and live their life for others.
