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1/ IMO the act of #Jauhar is underlined with 4 ideas.
Death over servitude
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When servitude is extreme and eventually results in death, the act of dying is seen as a sacrifice; brave rather than cowardice. Most cultures revere and glorify people who do this.
Death over servitude
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When servitude is extreme and eventually results in death, the act of dying is seen as a sacrifice; brave rather than cowardice. Most cultures revere and glorify people who do this.
2/ Self-immolation
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The method of death matters too.
The Burning Monk is one of the strongest images of protests. It changed world politics. There are multiple instances of people burning themselves for resistance. And no one reduces it to suicide or cowardice.
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The method of death matters too.
The Burning Monk is one of the strongest images of protests. It changed world politics. There are multiple instances of people burning themselves for resistance. And no one reduces it to suicide or cowardice.
3/ "Spoils of war"
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Men are stakeholders in war.
Women are stakes.
While men die in wars too, they usually are the agents of war.
Women are always the peace agreement or the trophy. Why weren't they expected to stand next to men and fight and die?
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Men are stakeholders in war.
Women are stakes.
While men die in wars too, they usually are the agents of war.
Women are always the peace agreement or the trophy. Why weren't they expected to stand next to men and fight and die?
4/ Honour
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Honour is very hard to define. Different cultures with a different set of moralities have different honour codes at different times.
But almost always, the code is defined by men. And women are oppressed using it.
And it's done by tying honour to 'being a woman'
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Honour is very hard to define. Different cultures with a different set of moralities have different honour codes at different times.
But almost always, the code is defined by men. And women are oppressed using it.
And it's done by tying honour to 'being a woman'
5/ ----
So, Jauhar, while made of two respectable* components, is problematic because of the other two: gender gap and honour expectations.
The fact that women were supposed to do it in wars that they didn't have control on, is the problem.
So, Jauhar, while made of two respectable* components, is problematic because of the other two: gender gap and honour expectations.
The fact that women were supposed to do it in wars that they didn't have control on, is the problem.
6/ The fact that this glorification is still used when a khaap panchayat kills a daughter for "letting honour down", is the problem.
The fact that is was always expected out of women, is the problem.
The fact that is was always expected out of women, is the problem.
7/ The fact that the only other choice for them at that time was to get raped and then killed, is the problem.
The fact that the #Rajput society that shouts pride at such stories also was hugely into female infanticide. is the problem.
The fact that the #Rajput society that shouts pride at such stories also was hugely into female infanticide. is the problem.
8/ The fact that even today being a rape victim is somehow considered worse than dying in this land, is the problem.
The fact that "women in the army" is still not a normal thing, is the problem.
The fact that "women in the army" is still not a normal thing, is the problem.
9/ So while the women who did it can be individually seen as the Burning Monk, the context and practice in itself is a tragedy.
There is no honour in it.
There is no honour in it.
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