Pure Feminism

Guru Nanak wrote in Asa di Var, “Of woman are we born, of woman conceived; to woman we are engaged, to woman married. Women are befriended, by woman is the civilization continued. It is by woman that the entire social order is maintained. Then why call her evil of whom are great men born? From the woman is born woman, without the woman there is none.

Guru Nanak regards woman as creator through whom all life gets created.  Women and man, all by God are created. All this is God’s play. All thy creation is good, Holy. It is their conduct which makes them pure or polluted. Pollution is not in bodily functions nor in food or blood. Greed is the pollution of the mind; lying is the pollution of the tongue…… listening to slander is pollution of the ears. The pollution in which they commonly believe is all superstition.

Strangely enough, some blame women for distracting men or acting as hindrance to their path of salvation. This has resulted in various rules and sanctions being imposed upon women. In Sikhism, it is not women but men who are blamed for their sinful thoughts upon seeing a woman. Why do men allow lust to dominate their minds? Vain are the eyes which behold the beauty of another’s wife. It is regarded as pollution of the eyes.

Women are the integral part of Sangat. Infact the Sikh code of conduct, Article 16, states, “It is not proper for a Sikh woman to wear a veil or keep her face hidden by veil or cover.” Purdah system was regarded as a marker of inferior status of women. All human beings are equal. No distinctions are observed between men and women in matters of initiation, participation in sangat and pangat, religious and secular matters.

It was condemned that the inhuman customs of sati and female infanticide and advocated equal status for women. A woman is a favourite in her parental home, loved dearly by her father and mother. In the home of her in-laws, she is the pillar of the family, the guarantee of the good fortune. Sharing in spiritual wisdom and enlightenment and with noble qualities endowed, a woman, the other half of man exhorts him to the door of liberation.

Sikh women are asked to wear five kakkars, and kirpan- one of the kakkars-is symbolic of her power which can be used to defend herself and others. Not surprisingly, every Sikh women is Singhani, a lioness and Kaur, princess, at the same time. Sikhism strongly advocates the idea of same soul and same salvation. The only requirement is right path, right thought and right conduct.

Matter Referenced:  Times of India, Ahmedabad, Friday, 19th October, 2018.

By: Dr. Bhawana Asnani.

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