Sunday, May 13, 2007

on mothers' day

Well, world mother's day according to me does not signify much. I don't need a specific day, wherein i can appreiciate mother. But the world does celebrate this day, i too join the crowd.

Women belong to two categories, those who can bear a child form one group, those who can't belong to another. I read this piece of information, sometime ago. Absurd, yet true. Segregating womankind into two different groups, and treating them in a different manner. An unreasonable act. To bear a child is the utmost desire(?) in the heart of any lady.

Mother, father and i was watching t.v the other day. As they say, a lady becomes a woman upon giving birth to a child. Well, i don't agree with the above statement. I voiced my opinion.

This is how the conversation followed:

Mother: No Mouna, what you say is wrong.

Father: Well, afterall she(me) is a biology student, there must be a reason for her to say this.

Me: Yes, ma, father is correct.

Father: But Mouna, mother has had experience, and she speaks from experience. It has more magnitude than what you(me) understand from biology.

Me: hmmmm...

Well, i am still not sure what to gather from the above debate. Both mother and father make sense.

But, one thing surely annoys me, the way women get treated when their folks realise that a particular woman is barren. Who is to blame? Mother Nature?

I am reminded of Indira Goswami(one of my favourite writers) and the Kamakhya temple. The rituals followed there is disturbing(to say the least), a bull is sacrificed, in order to please Shakthi. Who'll in turn enhance a woman's womb to bear fruit. As one reads Goswami, one is filled with disappointment. Ghastly rituals. And this is just a sampler. Umpteen number of such incidents, practices are followed religiously.

I came across this article yesterday, in one of the kannada dailies, Praja Vani. It talks about altruism. One of the highlighted features of mankind is generosity. Though it's hardly seen these days.

I've the pleasure of knowing two women who have adopted children. Two nice women. One is a lecturer at college, and the other a friend of father's. I respect them a lot more. Their kind act makes me do so.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

wonderful article. thought provoking indeed.

mouna said...

bellur,
thanks!!

and saddening too :(

Anonymous said...

True, I don't need a Mother's day either. My take - It's all Hallmark's gimmick to sell more goodies.

When I was picking up lunch from the cafe on friday, the cashier looked at me and asked me not to forget to wish my mom on mother's day. Well, I smiled and did tell her that I do call her very regularly and didn't need a special day and she was pleased.

The concept of having a mother's day is quite alien to me, but hey, nothing wrong in calling her up one more day. I did not, that's a different issue.

As for the two kinds of women theory which you read/saw somewhere....that's what I call total bunkum. Something which absolutely makes no sense. Such theories really start off the segregation and they are the root of all social evils. To say the least, I am so furious that someone starts differentiating women like that. Like your mother said, a woman wanting to have a child is fine. But, as you rightly put, if she is abrren, what the heck can anyone do ?

Oh well, what do I know.....men cannot read a woman's mind...far from it actually :)

mouna said...

ds,
stupid, true, but this rules! what started it, how it integrated into our systems remains very mysterious.

but as the article says, one can still experience the sacredness of motherhood by parenting another kid. divinity in person.

Anonymous said...

Indeed a nice article and quite touchy adoption is one thing which gives the satisfaction and keeps you busy. I too know two families who have adopted and yes they have choosed girls. and one of them have brought the beautiful girl from one ashrma really cute girl and doing very well under care of the parents who have adopted her. really nice gesture.
other family have adopted from a poor family and they too have choosen a girs hats off to both for giving a much better life to these young girls.

mouna said...

praneshachar,
thanks! yes sir, hats off to both the families!! it's really nice to hear about such wonderful acts..

thanks for visiting my pages, do visit them again!! :)