Widows and the Society

 

Widows are one of the most neglected and discriminated sections of society. Losing a life partner could be very painful and challenging for women, especially in our country where widowhood is considered a curse. The culture of victimizing the widows was much more prevalent in the Vedic and post-Vedic times. Even a decade ago, the “widowing ceremony” was one of the vicious practices in society. In this ceremony, senior widows descended upon the hapless widow, smudging the vermilion dot, smashing all types of bangles-glass coral, offloaded all jewellery from her body. The widow was rubbed and scrubbed until the tiniest speck of colour disappeared from her body. Such practices of depict the plight of widows in India. Even today such practices are common in the rural and under-developed parts of the country. It is important for society to consider widows as humans who have the right to be happy and pursue their wishes. The death of their husbands shouldn’t be considered the death of their right to live happily. A widow deserves happiness and recognition just like the other women of society. Therefore, the ill-treatment of widows should be ended as soon as possible.