Backwardness to some, devotion8217; to others

CHANDIGARH, NOV 15: The recent incident of sati in Uttar Pradesh must have shocked many, but surprisingly with the world on the threshold...

CHANDIGARH, NOV 15: The recent incident of sati in Uttar Pradesh must have shocked many, but surprisingly with the world on the threshold of the 21st century there are many more who are not averse to the idea. In fact, in a section of society this is considered quot;the highest form of devotionquot; even today.

A couple of people talked to by Chandigarh Newsline expressed their approval for the practice of sati. However, those against it were also not few. While some considered sati a sign of loyalty as they said after the death of her husband a woman loses the right to live, others considered it an indication of the highest form of illiteracy and ignorance.

quot;Once a woman8217;s husband is dead, she has no relations left in this world neither mother nor father, neither brother nor sister. Husband is the one and only supreme being for a woman and she should sacrifice her life for him. Anyway, after he is dead she has nobody else to live for,quot; said Khush Lal Singh of Garhwal and a resident of Mauli Jagran.

Seventy-year-old Jamna Bai said: quot;A young widow should ideally end her life, not necessarily on the husband8217;s pyre, because both had vowed to be with each other till death did them apart. She has nobody else to live for after her husband dies. If she has children she should end their life first and then kill herself.quot;

Nirmala Devi, mother of two and hailing from Rajasthan, was of the opinion that a childless woman loses the right to live after losing her husband. quot;Husband is like God for a woman and one of the marital vows is that she should not shirk from making even the biggest of sacrifices. And what could be more than sacrificing one8217;s life? That is the true form of devotion. However, she should stay alive if she has children,quot; she said.

Sri Nath, a resident of Sector 21 and hailing from Allahabad, was, however, more practical. He said: quot;The practice was prevalent earlier for the times were different and a widow had no options. Parents wouldn8217;t take her back and in-laws wouldn8217;t feed her. Also, her status in the society was nil and living was a continuous nightmare. So they preferred to die. Nowadays, a widow has thousands of options; she can pick up the threads of her life, make her own living. sati in this age is just insanity.quot;

B.M. Bakshi, a resident of Sector 15, said: quot;In this age, sati is not only shocking but the highest form of cruelty. There should be concerted efforts by the government to book those who encourage this heinous act or support it and stringent punishment for those who are caught guilty. Also public awareness and a mass movement against sati should be initiated may be by involving non-government organisations.quot;