humanityashore.com

Full Text of speech delivered by Ms. Sivanandini Duraiswamy, at the The 3rd Annual Nahammal Kasipillai Memorial Oration, on January 16th 2008 at Sangarapillai hall, Saiva Mangaiyar Kazhagam, Wellawatte, Colombo 6:

The Oneness of humanity based on the Omnipresent Atman inherent in each being, is a fundamental principle in Hinduism leading to human dignity, human rights and equality of the sexes.

Hindu traditions always respected womanhood for a woman is the embodiment of Shakti that is Energy. The Grace of God manifests as the Divine Mother for the good of mankind.

And even the Lord is regarded as Ardhanarishwar, the embodiment of the masculine and feminine principles and from this flows the idea of woman being equal half of man. Swami Vivekananda says that in the highest Reality, there is no distinction of sex. Sex is a mere vesture worn by the Soul to perform one’s duties in this world.

Hindu civilisation has thus always placed woman on par with man and given her an equal place in the family and society. In ancient times man and wife together offered their sacrifices and a man had to pray jointly with his wife and for this same reason no unmarried man could become nor a widower remain a priest if he was already one.

The women participated in Vedic ceremonies together with the husbands, fought in battles when the necessity demanded, authored prayers and participated in the affairs of society in an equal manner.

In early India, there are references to women administrators and warriors, poets and craftswomen, philosophers and thinkers. Greek historians describe how an Indian Queen fought the armies of Alexander much as two thousand years later the Rani of Jhansi defended her kingdom against the British. Scholars and thinkers like Gargi, Maitreyi, Avvai, Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Pandima Devi and others appeared on the scene from time to time..

Down the corridors of time, we are able to see several cameos of the Hindu woman being sketched, as the fellow traveller in dharma-sahadharmini or the Lakshmi of the home-grihalakshmi, or as the student brahmachari, teacher acharya or administrator, all being educated and deeply rooted in the Hindu concept of

-”Aatmaano mokshaartham jagad hitaaya cha,” thinking of not merely self emancipation only but also of the welfare of others.

Thus we see that the Hindu response should link up the present woman with her Vedic, Upanishadic and Thirumurai counterparts where women acquired education in an atmosphere of equality participating in ceremonies and traditions.

The highest form of education was open to both boys and girls. High literary attainment has its beginnings in childhood education and this enabled women to become scholars and philosophers, keen debators and brilliant teachers.

Women have always been given not only the highest level of respect and freedom, but also protection and safety and has always been given not only the highest level of respect and freedom, but also protection and safety.

These emancipated women made extensive contribution to society and this is an intellectual reference point in the Hindu world.

Furthermore, in the Vedas, when a woman is invited into the family through marriage, she enters “as a river enters the sea” and “to rule there along with her husband, as a queen, over the other members of the family”. (Atharva-Veda 14.1.43-44)

The Vedic tradition has held a high regard for the qualities of women as seen in the honor it gives for the Goddess-those of Lakshmi the goddess of wealth, Sarasvati the goddess of learning, Durga (the goddess of strength and power), Kali (the power of time), and others that exemplify inner strength and divine attributes. Even divine power in the form of shakti is considered feminine.

Let us take examples of women in Vedic and Upanishadic Traditions:

There are a dozen names of woman spiritual leaders of the Vedic wisdom, such as Visvavara, Shashvati, Gargi, Maitreyi, Apala, Ghosha, and Aditi. Every one of them lived the ideal life of spirituality, being untouched by the things of the world. They are called in Sanskrit Brahmavadinis, the speakers and revealers of Brahman.

Some like Apala and Aitreyi were composers of hymns; some were rishis like Lopamudra and Vach, others like Vishpala and Mudgalani distinguished themselves in battle and still others like Gargi and Maitreyi excelled in spirituality and made strides in establishing the foundation of Sanatana Dharma.

Such women scholars represent the full flowering of the feminine spirit in its effort not only to worship the Divine but also to guide human kind in its forward march. They made extensive contribution and did empower themselves. These are the bright luminaries in the firmament of Hindu womanhood. These women to whatever ages they may have belonged, have become immortal, have passed into classics.

Women in the Epic eras were also women of great repute namely Sita, Draupadi, Savitri, Damayanti to mention just four.

The immortal Epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata speak of a number of accomplished women. A verse depicting the resplendent and gracious qualities of the Ayodhya women, another that Sita, Kaushalya and others performed the Sandyopasana and holy sacrifices, reflect the true position of women in society.

Though Sita’s life was full of struggle and hardship, she was innocent and pure. She gave up all comforts to serve her beloved husband and uphold sanctity, faithfulness, virtue and moral standards. She made her decision and her ability to fearlessly withstand Ravana and holding her stand make her a woman of character and fortitude.

Women in the Tirumurai

Mangayakarasi and Thilagawathiyar were rare gems of Hindu womanhood.

Queen Mangaitkarasi stood alone with the Chief Minister of the Pandyan Kingdom as the ruling monarch changed into Jainism. She fought against the atrocities of the Jains and brought back Hinduism into the Pandyan land which had become a Jain kingdom.

Thilagawathiyar was Saint Appar’s sister who courageously and fearlessly brought back her brother Thirunavukkarasar into the Hindu fold from Jainism.

From very early period we also have women who excelled in Bhakti devotion to the Lord. Women of the Bhakti movement for example are Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Andal and Mirabhai who sang their experiences in the understanding of Godhead. They made extensive contribution to religious devotion during the classical and medieval ages.

Karaikka Ammayar is, as Saint Serkilar refers to her, ‘the mother who sang the first pathikam and the one who founded the Tevara Pannisai’.

Coming nearer home, the Tamil Sangam produced the celebrated Dame Avvai, an erudite poetess who also excelled in diplomacy negotiating between the ancient Pandya and Chola monarchs of her time.

Inscriptions describe women of the later Chola period, who distinguished themselves in battle, built temples, tanks, hospitals etc and their participation in administering land and supporting religion.

Besides women being Brahmavadins and scholars in spirituality, we also see that women have been in administration as well These women administrators in the Stri Rajya concept protected the country during the absence of the king or when the king was incapacitated. For example we see

-Prabhavati Gupta, the daughter of Chandra Gupta ruled for 13 years in the 5th century.

-Queen Didda of Kashmir and her statesman-ship in the 10th century

-Akkadevi, the Chalukyan Princess was the Provincial Governor in the 11th century appointed by the Chalukya King Jayasimha II

-Rudramba Kakatiya of the 13th century promoted the welfare of her subjects. Marco Polo describes her as an efficient administrator and a lover of justice, equality and peace.

-Sembiyan Mahadevi and Kundavi of the Chola era were also keen administrators

o Devi Ahalya Bai Holkar, the queen of Indore (Madhya Pradesh) has set an excellent example of efficient administration. Her contribution to encourage free trade and the concept of the welfare state is very admirable.

Women from earlier times had also been freedom fighters defending their land. For example:

Rani Chennamma of Kittur (in North Karnataka) was the first woman freedom fighter of India against the British. Rani Chennamma was known for her chivalry.

Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi was one of the most brave and legendary of warrior women of India. Disguised as a man, she rode out to battle against the British, but was unfortunately killed.

The hilltop fortress of Chittorgarh was another example of the warrior spirit of the women. Honor was more important than death to them, and the women also would rather die than submit to the enemy and certain humiliation.

Women like Sri Sarada Devi and Kasturbhai Gandhi of the more recent past were no ordinary people.

Sri Sarada Devi life was an ideal way of living in which service and worship went together inspired by a universal love embracing all living beings in the fragrance of motherliness.

Kasturbai Gandhi worked from behind scenes unobtrusively to help her husband in his work.

These women demonstrate in unparalleled ways how the highest form of spirituality can be easily combined with normal domestic work and how an ordinary woman can reach the pinnacle of purity and perfection in the midst of her thousand and one daily chores.

Having gone through all these examples, we distinctly see that it was in an atmosphere of equality, education and accomplishment that the Hindu woman acquired knowledge and spirituality and were able to wield authority.

Marriage came after education for one of the main purposes of education of girls was/is the preparation of marriage. Marriage was viewed not as the end in itself but as a means for the continuation of the family.

The husband and wife are spiritual partners, each of whom complements the other and both proceed towards the spiritual goal.

To us Hindus, marriage is a spiritual sacrament and through marriage a man and a woman fulfil their dharma. Their union results in the perpetuation of the human race forming an essential part of nature’s pattern-motherhood-

Motherhood means the family lives on. Its sanctity is stressed in Hinduism. To preserve this sanctity, the ideals of chastity, modesty, faithfulness and purity which lead to the iviolability of marriage, an idea that is generally ingrained in every Hindu woman. Swami Vivekananda speaks of the ideal of womanhood as motherhood and adds, ”If nations are made by men, it is women that make men in as much as the foundations of character are laid in the nursery.” This is very true, for the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

[Ms. Nahammal Kasipillai]

Having said this, where are we now? As Nahammal thought have dropped down into abysmal depths?

We realize that the Hindu woman and the ideals of Hindu society gradually changed with time and lowered the position of women. There are several reasons for this.

o The development of monasticism during the Jain and Buddhist eras brought down the position of the Hindu woman. To remain pure, free from dhukka was all important to man and all the blame was unfortunately cast on women!

o Education was denied and this denial reduced her position and decision making capacity in society.

o Furthermore, the position of women in the medieval Hindu society in India deteriorated-with the codification of the Manu dharma shastra and the Muslim invasions. Hindu society was a helpless witness to the detioration of the woman’s position. The interaction of the alien invasions on the old Hindu traditional life, resulted in these unfortunate developments. In order to protect the purity of the girl child, of the young widow these repressive measures, alien to our culture had to be adopted. Education was relegated to the background.

o It was during this time that child marriage which was unheard in earlier days came into being. The position of widows became bad; and perhaps this may have been one of the causes that led to sati, which in later times took a turn for the worse. Sati was a voluntary act totally unrelated to Hinduism

Unfortunately, the high standards of the earlier eras have declined primarily due to the outside influences that have crept in because of foreign invaders, either militarily or culturally. These foreign invaders who dominated India mostly looked at women as objects of sexual enjoyment and exploitation, and as the spoils of war to be taken like a prize.

When the position of women declines, then that society loses its equilibrium and harmony. Women were later denied the right to inherit property, to transact business, to educate themselves and to be independent.

With the advent of colonial rule and the destruction of the village economy, the position of women deteriorated further, with the women becoming less educated, less healthy and less represented in the professions. They were frequently subject to violence both in the home and outside.

The institution of dowry crept in which is an insult to our self-respect and honour. The Dowry system in the Hindu society is a social practice unrelated to religion. Dowry and its socio-economic consequences impact young women adversely in certain cases. Wife beating takes place in certain sections of society, though bride burning is non- existent in Sri Lanka.

Fortunately, these repressive measures touched the Sri Lankan Hindu woman only marginally.

In urban Hindu societies for example even funeral rites essentially male dominated, are now increasingly performed by girls in the absence of sons. The girl child is not totally undervalued though in rural societies traditional practices accord preferential treatment for favour the boys especially regarding food and education..

Though basic education in Sri Lanka is compulsory and the girls have the same opportunities in the educational system as boys, yet in rural areas preferential treatment is given to boys regarding education and food.

With the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the basic dignity and rights of children in the world was not only recognised but ensured. These Rights include their rights to survival, protection and development.

Education of women empowers them and today besides following her traditional professions of either being a teacher or a nurse, she is a doctor, or an engineer, or an executive, or a banker, or an administrator.

An educated mother gives greater importance to the education of her daughter and this has a positive impact on the future generation. While an uneducated mother, particularly in rural areas gives less importance to education.

There is a need for change.

One can use Hinduism to emancipate the woman and empower her through its concept of the omnipresent Atman or Self present in each being regardless of caste, race or gender. All individuals are therefore one in essence and equal in social standing. This is the Hindu ideal, which should be accepted by both men and women. This has been reflected in the United Nation’s resolution.

The modern ideal of the ancient Upanishadic concept is today the United Nations declaration that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

These ideals should help rectify some of the wrongs and the injustices perpetrated on the woman and reclaim our tradition in order to contribute our due role in the strengthening of Hindu society.

Our Society in Asia has a pre-determined role for a girl-a wife, a mother and a homemaker and the woman particularly in rural areas, internalise this subordination and very often is unable to extricate herself out of it!

She finds that society itself often legitimises her sub-ordination, primarily because of gender issues.

She invariably has multiple roles to play-at home a mother and homemaker and outside a co-worker with her husband. All her work goes unrecognised and merely taken for granted. This is sad because in actual life, besides her reproductory functions, she is an equal partner in any family enterprise be it in the field, farm or market place.

The imperative of social justice thus is urgent making education and training of skills necessary for the woman’s advancement in life

Access to education is a basic human right and it will no doubt be the agent of change in the status of the woman linking her to broader concerns of national development and developing in her a culture of self-reliance, a positive self-image and the capacity to participate in decision making at all levels on equal footing.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. If you educate a woman you educate the family.”

Education thus is an instrument for upward mobility for the entire family, empowering the woman and giving her the knowledge and skills.

As we have already seen, Hinduism has within it a liberal inheritance in education that lends itself to social justice and reform.

This must necessarily be re-asserted because the many facets of educational development will contribute to equal opportunities and to equitable gender relations.

The rising cost of living has compelled the woman to enter the work force in order to supplement family income.

However, working outside the home has often resulted in the dislocation of family life, neglecting her children and her important role of loving, caring and looking after them. In the newly evolving nuclear family unit, man and wife have a shared responsibility of the family with the understanding that the wife is an equal partner.

The presence of the woman in various occupations outside the home makes her more vulnerable. She is subject to discrimination and physical abuse in the work place. She generally undergoes all these hardships mainly because she is unable to express her grievances and she is not adequately heard. She does not participate in the decision-making process.

The woman identifies herself with her family nurturing and nourishing her children making family life a positive experience. The family is a source of love, security and at times one of power and prestige.

However, the very family system that provides security to the woman also locks her into her home and often she, has no means of correcting a situation like wife beating, incest, rape etc. sexual harassment, which in its extreme form constitutes violence against women, has been on the increase both in the home and outside.

National legislation should incorporate deterrents against rape, incest, domestic violence and sexual harassments in order to prevent such acts. The legal institutions and processes impact both positively and negatively on various aspects of a woman’s life. Some women have find it difficult to obtain access to justice while other do not wish to be heard in public.

All these problems led to women agitating for relief leading to the-

The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) of 1979 provides a framework that can help governments to integrate all aspects of the woman’s well being into law and policy.

In the 1950s of the last century, when it was realised that political clout was necessary for women’s enhancement-

The agitation of women brought about the United Nations Commission of the Status of Women (in 1952) that recommended the Convention on the Political Rights of Women.

The granting of political rights to women is important because by participating in the legislative, executive and judicial organs of government they could influence positively on issues affecting them, make themselves heard effectively and become part of the decision making process.

However, it is sad to note that after about half a century of the granting of this right, the number of women in high positions of political power and influence is still small.

This merely shows that the acquiring of political rights by law is only a partial solution. Changes in law and in administrative rules will not be effective unless there is attitudinal change among the men and women themselves for which awareness raising at all levels is necessary.

A return to the ideals of the ancient Hindu society where women participated in administration and public life can remind the woman of her inheritance of equality.

Thus one needs to assert Hindu Values in a Changing World

It is a time to reclaim our traditions in order to contribute our due role in the strengthening of Hindu society. There is much that needs to be done. One needs to lift the down trodden, help the poor, protect the environment, assert our Hindu values in a changing world and contribute to the common humanity that we all share. We women need to take our place in the tasks ahead.

Today, ethnic conflicts in various parts of the world add a new dimension to women’s problems with the woman being thrown into the unexpected role of providing for the family

for which she has no skills resulting in the number of female-headed households dependent on relief handouts, increasing.

Gender issues have had relatively low priority in the context of the policy imperative to resolve such conflicts and violence. In Sri Lanka, the ethnic conflict has created problems mostly for women and children face. This trauma has yet to be adequately addressed.

One of the first effects of war is the displacement of civilians, the breakdown of mutual support mechanisms and the reduction of food and medicines. Refugee camps also leave mush to be desired with hardly any privacy for the women and girls.

It is clear that there is a pressing need for the women to be in the decision-making and social service programmes and the Hindu women need to take their role in these responsibilities. Disruptions of all kinds place extraordinary stress on women.

In this fast moving world values are changing; men and women are tempted to yield to the convenience of the moment.

Women are seeking equal rights and equal opportunities and think of themselves as individuals with rights and privileges. A woman also has her aspirations beyond the husband, children and home. In order to fulfil her aspirations she must be given equal opportunities to achieving them .

Sex stereo-typing in vocational and professional courses are gradually giving way to women’s participation in non traditional occupations and technology.

Education will link women to broader concerns of national development and to develop in them a culture of self-reliance, a positive self-image and the capacity to participate in decision making at all levels on equal footing.

As her ancient predecessor, the young woman today must participate and decide on important issues affecting her future, her safety and her economic and social rights. She must emancipate her very thinking and believe in her own worth.

The strong adherence to our Hindu cultural identity and the socio-cultural traditions rooted in the culture should not offer resistance to modernising influences and technical changes. But at the same time the social expectations that require the woman to preserve, sustain and closely adhere to the age old Hindu values should also be acknowledged. One should not throw the bath water with the baby.

According to Swami Vivekananda ‘No peace and harmony could be brought about and no improvements could be effected in any society, until and unless the women and masses who form a greater part of the population are educated.’

And in the words of Rabindranath Tagore the ideal woman is envisaged as, ”the woman in whom the streams of intellect and emotion emanating from the vast univese are not hindered from mingling in a deep and beautiful harmony.”

In concluding this presentation, I would like to say that there is a need for Hindu self-assertiveness where our values, traditions and ethos will inspire us to defend ourselves against those who deny our right to be.

The world around us is experiencing profound political, economic, social and cultural changes that are impacting both positively and negatively on women. The priority objectives of the international community are the full and equal participation of women in political, civil, economic, social and cultural life at all levels and the eradication of all forms of discrimination and violence against them.

Thus as women, we must have a purpose in life and if we can say, ”I have truly lived and dedicated my life to achieving something noble,” then we are modern with all its trimmings but still ancient in our Hindu ideals. The position of women in society is the true index of its cultural and spiritual level and Sarojini Naidu summarises this up succinctly “The true shrines of liberty are in the homes of the Nations; and the women are the High Priestesses who guard the sacred flame.” This is indeed the position of the Hindu woman that Nahammal envisaged..

References:

The Bhagavad Geeta with Swami Chinmayananda’s commentaries

The Message of the Upanishads-Swami Rangananandaji

The Atharva Veda

The Cultural Heritage of India-Ramakrisha Mission Cultural Institute.

Pattinaththar and Thomas Grey

The lives of the different women

Tirumurai,

Periya Puranam

Rig Veda

Upanishad

The Footfalls on Time

Surfing the Internet.

Related: Remembering the legacy of Ms. Nahammal Kasipillai