THE POLITICS OF CHHATH

What to do, if I see something wrong in the way things are? To silence my conscience is not my way, To enjoy on the ruins of others is not my way! 

My way is to speak about it, to write about it. There is an interwoven politics behind the so called sacred festival of Bihar and Jharkhand which I will have to write even though I really like this festival to my gut. 

This Festival actually hides a deeper subjugation of women. You can sense it in the Geet Or songs of Chhath. I do not particularly feel very good when I hear songs which seem to me like they are portraying women as just helpless beings who cannot do anything without their male counterparts, be it their brothers, Husbands, sons and so on. This festival is as if, the helpless woman tries to compensate for the hardships the the male undergoes in order to earn some bread. 

This highly sexist festivity has an aspect of social peer pressure inherently attached to it. When, in some year, some woman, does not do this fast in chhath, she feels sorry about it. Sorry for what? For staying hungry for 2-3 days and to suffer through the cold chilling water for hours before the sun sets. 

What social validation a woman might get by doing this? Through a male gaze, perceiving this might be a little difficult. 

There is an uneasiness in the happening of this festival. Somehow, you, as a male become responsible for the successful commencement of this festival. 

The conflictual angle of violence is also there. There is some sort of systemic violence at play here. Women who do not do it, are considered wamps. Some people do it once in a year. Some women do it after a gap of one year. This is extremely difficult for me to deduce what incentivises these women. 

The concept of "Familial self" Seems to be at play here. These women feel good after they have done good for their male counterparts, not for themselves. Should I feel good about it? Should I feel good by this that a whole generation of a particular gender never really did something absolutely for themselves and always had a self attached to their families they belonged. 

Does not it bring into picture some sort of men saying, "My women doing chhath", " Your woman not doing chhath!" I mean, there is objectification here definitely. 

I really feel uneasy standing here waiting for sun to set. Like my brothers, I do not feel very responsible for my family successfully executing chhath. Although I feel responsible as an individual to write this write up, reminding future generations that this is not so sacred that it seems worth saving as a culture. 

I understand the uneasiness to leave an identity behind and to opt for newer identities. I have experienced that first hand. The correct way, seems too difficult and emotionally straining to adopt and the incorrect is so old and nostalgic that it lingers on and cannot be left. 

But, we, as a generation, should willfully leave things worth living, however hurtful it feels. 

This is what justice is all about. Let's not socialize our future generations in such a way that they feel guilty not following these sexist rituals.