#KarwaChauth… Regression or Choice?

From the last few years Indian social media and even mainstream media sometimes goes crazy every October. The reason… the big KC. KarwaChauth….

Those who call it regressive, do not understand that celebrating festivals and observing fasts is about the sentiment and the gesture. All festivals are symbolic then why the big hullabaloo for KarwaChauth alone?

• Why do people light lamps, keep doors open and pray to Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali? Are you really expecting a gold laden woman in a red saree to walk in and suddenly eleviate your financial burdens or elevate your financial status?
• Why do they play Holi? Has another avatar of Vishnu descended on earth and gotten rid of all evil?
• Why burn Ravan effigies on Dassehra when all around us there is so much corruption and human induced suffering?

Do you realise that celebrating is a way if connecting with people, with your family and impart a right moral code to your children?

A lot of Hindu festivals are about fasting. Navratri, Teej, Ekadashi, ShivRatri, Janmashtami, Ram Navmi. People fast on all these days. Why does the noise happen only on KarwaChauth? A woman fasting for her children on Teej does not get branded as a regressive mother. Why is the wife labelled so? My biggest problem with KarwaChauth bashing is that most of it comes from women. Mayuri makes a very valid point about choice in her KarwaChauth post and Suman makes a suggestion to keep it more relevant to current times. I agree with both of them.

All people shouting foul at this time of the year should just chill… and let the women be. Those who do not fast are doing it because it is their choice. Those who do, do it as a gesture of Love. We are not seeking validation from you or the rest of the world.