And I thought the JW's treated their elderly badly.
This is the most horrendous thing I have ever heard off, it's truly disgusting!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/05/damon.india.widows/index.html?eref=rss_topstories
Shunned from society, widows flock to city to die
by Grammy 9 Replies latest social current
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Namaste
Wow I had no idea that occurred. I can hardly wrap my brain around the idea of rejecting your mother and putting her on the street to die because of tradition. I'm interested in finding out if there are any organizations that you can donate to and help fund these homes. So sad.
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Quandry
Wow. What a creep the woman's son is. Who took care of him when he was young and wrinkly and bald and couldn't do anything for himself?
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choosing life
Doesn't India still have a caste system where people are born into their station in life? They have lower class ones who are called untouchables. They are not able to escape this situation as they see it as punishment from a previous life lived badly.
People sure come up with some crazy ideas and cruel at that.
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LeslieV
That is soooooooooooo sad...how could you turn your back on your own MOTHER???? If it wasn't for her that son of a gun would not even have breath to tell her to go away. It is disgusting.
Leslie
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bigdreaux
truly sick.
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Gopher
What happens to widowers in this same society? If a man loses his mate, does he suffer in this same way?
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Merry Magdalene
How does something like that become a tradition? If you ever once loved your mother and were grateful to her for her care, how could you turn your back on her and shun her when she was widowed... hmmm... shunning... left to die...
And, if that isn't bad wnough, another article on the widows of India says:
Y oung widows are still being brought in by sex traffickers and sold into prostitution. The sevadasi system, in which the 'service' done to rich and powerful pilgrims is seen as an act of piety, is still prevalent. Sexual exploitation still exists at the bhajanashrams.
A n earlier study, commissioned in 1992 by the National Commission for Women and conducted by Deepali Bhanot, corroborates that "the flesh trade flourishes in Vrindavan and Mathura in the full knowledge of the police, administration, holy men and politicians." --http://www.sikhspectrum.com/012003/widows_h.htm
~Merry
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karvel
there's a great movie on the subject of widows in india called 'water' directed by deepa mehta. although it's set in the '30s it still reflects the way widows are treated today. despite laws against things like that tradition still holds fast sadly.
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Merry Magdalene
Maybe I found the answer to my question in another interesting article on the matter:
"The taboo on widow remarriage stems from man's desire to monopolize all
the good things in life," Malik said.Arya...pointed out that behind the facade of family honor, the
motives of allowing a live-in relationship within the family are largely
economic.
"If a widow with children remarries or simply moves away, she is likely
to take with her a large chunk of the family property," explained Arya. "By
keeping the widow within the family, the elders ensure there is no division
of property."It is also interesting that India's paramilitary Border Security Foce is trying to change things.
The security force, which since 1990 has lost nearly 600 men on the job,
is making small yet significant progress among its soldiers and their
families in changing attitude towards remarriage.
The 180,000-strong paramilitary force responsible for securing India's
land borders has since last year found second husbands -- mostly within its
own ranks -- for 13 security force widows.The tightly knit security force feels a life-long responsibility to its
troops and their dependents that extends well beyond the monthly $50 to $60
pension for widows, said Chandara Kala Arya, president of the force's Wives
Welfare Association, a private charitable group made up of the spouses of
security force officers.
"We have pushed for remarriage to help the women find a place in
society," Arya said. "A single woman without her own family is open to
exploitation and harassment."
While pensions and re-employment programs do make the widows financially
self-sufficient, marriage gives women the most control over her life, she
said.
"Often, when widows live with relatives, they do not have control over
their own money," Arya said. "The pension is at the disposal of the oldest
male member who can do as he pleases.
"If a widow remarries, she has more control over the money because she
lives in her own house with her husband. She is no longer a dependent
relative," Arya said.
By contacting widows every few months by letter, the wives' organization
finds women who want to remarry. Through its vast network, the security
force's welfare department identifies men interested in marriage and tries
to make a suitable match based on common caste, language and religion,
Malik said.The welfare department's work is slowly but perceptibly effecting
change. At its first mass wedding in November, only three widows remarried.
Five months later, 10 couples were married.
These unions are still exceptions to the rule, however. Another 40
widows have rebuffed the force's suggestions of remarriage, Malik said.
In some cases, it is the woman's family that prevents remarriage,
thinking that such a radical step would reflect poorly on the entire
extended family. --http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/plc/prereading/widremar.htm~Merry