Hinduism Today has discussed this and other related topics in their magazines. From reading their materials, I've learned that the dowry concept was borrowed from the Europeans. I always thought it was a unique practice that began in India. It's very sad to hear about young women dying before their time caused by greed family members.
Peace, Marc --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, ranigdv <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Genocide of Women in Hinduism > by Sita Agarwal > > I dedicate this book to my late younger sister, who was murdered as > a result of a dowry-related incident while in full blossom of youth. > Like most sisters, we were very close to one another, and her early > death had a deep impact on me. This tragedy inspired me with the > will to join the Indian feminist movement, and to eventually write > this book. I hope that this work may save the lives of some of my > Indian sisters and help reduce the suffering of Indian womankind. > The reason for writing this book is purely humanitarian, so I have > made this book available in the public domain. The more widely this > book is read, the more innocent lives shall be saved. Please > distribute it freely, and help save Indian women. Thank you in > advance for your efforts. > > After my sister's death, I joined the Indian feminist movement. I > read the usual feminist literature, took part in the usual > demonstrations in support of womens' rights, and attended the usual > womens' rights conventions. However, it soon dawned on me that the > movement was quite hollow, and, despite several decades of > existance, had failed miserably in its objectives. At the time I > write this book, in June 1999, the status of women in India has sunk > to its lowest ebb. After 50 years of Independance, cases of female > infanticide, sati, dowry-related murders and crimes against women > are on the increase, and in many cases are at their highest levels > seen since the birth of the Indian Republic. I soon realised that > the reason is that Indian feminism has not tackled the core of the > evil, but has only squabbled about superficial aspects of the > problem. Western feminism was merely transplanted onto the > subcontinent, and like many plants, had been unable to thrive in its > new environment. It is only by tackling the root of the problem that > this plant can grow. I hope that this book shall enlighten all > Indian women as to the true reasons for the abject state of > subjugation we are in. > > Everyone has heard the Brahmin male propaganda that the customs of > sati, dowry, female infanticide and all other social suppression of > women in India is the result of `social degeneration', `coruption', > or still worse, `foreign Christian or Muslim influence'. This is all > one big lie designed to fool women. The reasons are far more deep- > rooted, and are fully the result of Brahmin male conspiracies. > > The real reason for the sad state of Indian women is the > continuation of the Vedic and Vaishnava religions, collectively > referred to as Brahminism or `astika' Hinduism. These religions > clearly and unambiguously justify and prescribe the crushing of > women to the status of sub-humans. Rather than being due to some > kind of `corruption', the ghastly practices of sati, female > infanticide, dowry and related acts are actually enforced by Vedic > and Hindu scriptures. Although this may sound like some Christian or > Muslim propaganda, it is not. I have backed up my research with > quotations from Vedic and Vaishnava scriptures, and have shown that > these religions, and nothing else, are the main culprits behind the > most anti-woman system the world has ever seen. Far from being > `enlightened' and `progressive', Brahmanism is in fact the very > fountain of the evils of sati, female infanticide, devadasism and > dowry. > > The result of my research is far-reaching. Instead of wasting time > attacking trivialities, the Hindu religion itself must be attacked > by Indian feminism. If Indian women are to become free, it is this > faith that must tackled, and nothing else. No other religion, not > even Islam or Christianity, burns its women, or slaughters one-tenth > of all women each generation except Hinduism. Indeed, Brahminism is > nothing but the legitimised genocide of women. In this book I have > performed calculations showing how Brahminist men, and not > Communists or Nazis, have been responsible for the greatest genocide > (namely that of women) in the history of the world. The worst > holocaust in human history was not that of the Jews or Africans, but > was that inflicted on women by Brahmins. A significant part of this > holocaust occurred in India during thousands of years of Brahmanic > tyranny. Even in the modern era, Brahmin-enforced laws lead to the > deaths of more people each decade than Hitler killed during the > entire Second World War. To stop this ongoing holocaust, Indian > women must unite with all those who oppose Hinduism, for an enemy's > enemy is a friend. Indian feminism must unite with Islamism, > Communism, Sudra Nationalism and Christianity in order to fight a > form of savagery known as Hinduism. By necessity this strategy shall > have to vary according to region. In South and Central India, Sudra > Nationalism promises to uplift Dravidian, Dalit and Adivasi women on > a healthy platform of anti-Brahmanism. This pan-Negroist philosophy > is thus a natural ally of Indian feminism. In North India, the > allied Islamist ideologies of pan-Islamism and Mughalstanism have > proven a potent forces for womens' liberation, witness the Mughal > emperors' restrictions on Sati and female infanticide. Indian > feminism should hence ally itself with these movements. Communism > has helped women in West Bengal and Kerala, and is another natural > ally for Indian feminism. Hence, by means of judicious realpolitik, > the status of Indian women can be bettered. > > Since I have written this work for humanitarian purpose, I hereby > make it free of any copyright. You may freely distribute this book, > in part or in whole, via any means you desire, whether by internet, > www, email, newsgroup, usenet, or any electronic means. You can also > print out this book and translate it, and distribute it in pamphlet > form. > > Please help Indian women. By distributing chapters of this book via > the internet or as pamphlets, you shall be saving innocent lives. > Each person can do his little towards this noble cause. By taking a > little time to post this to a newsgroup, by hosting this book at > your internet site or by adding a link to this book from your page, > you shall be doing service towards a valiant movement. This doesn't > cost any money; it just takes a little effort. Pleaes help, and > prevent further young and beautiful Indian women such as my sister > from premature death at the hands of Brahmin tyrants. Help end the > genocide of women in India. > > Thank You, > Sita Agarwal > > http://www.dalitstan.org/books/gowh/gowh-i.html To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
