SATI

Sati is a lady who dies with her husband’s dead body. It was a curse for Indian culture and has stopped long ago but still few rare cases have come in few very undeveloped regions of India.

It is a Hindu funeral practice in which the widow would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. The term is derived from the original name of the goddess Sati who was also known as Dakshayani, who immolated herself, unable to bear the humiliation of her husband (living) by her father. The term may also be used to refer to the widow herself. The term sati is now sometimes interpreted as “chaste woman”. With extremely strict laws against Sati in place, it has become extremely rare.

Loard William Bentick had abolished this practice almost 175 years back.

History bears evidence that this practice was adopted to save the widows from being captured alive by attacking forces, of the neighboring countries. There have been rampant incidents of aspersions cast on the dishonorable intentions of relatives who, in their avarice and greed for the wealth/property of the deceased would rather have the widow “Out Of” the fight for inheritance.

When you look at this practice deeply, it can be said that it is a form of suicide. Consider for the sake of hypothesis, that the widow does genuinely care enough for her deceased husband. Would she even agree to extinguish her life or opt for it under duress? Or the fact that she fears for her safety in any case? This itself is a reflection of the blinding and social stigma at work in rural India.

It is heart – wrenching how little the women in India are regarded as, in the eyes of the world at large.

Imagine a society deciding that it is now time for you to say goodbye, since your husband has. And the fact that it can happen even today is appalling.

In some countries, these countries treat women (life – bearers of men) with such little respect and regard, as to burn her alive with her husband corpse.