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Women break centuries-old tradition, attend girl`s cremation: The Hindustan Times
Durg, Sept 03: Thirteen-year-old Mamta`s death by fire was only the beginning of a social revolution in this Chhattisgarh town.
Durg, Sept 03: Thirteen-year-old Mamta's death by fire was only the beginning of a social revolution in this Chhattisgarh town.
The several dozen women of Satnami community, who attended her cremation ritual and performed her last rites on Monday, were too illiterate to explain what prompted them to break a centuries-old tradition -- under which women are strictly prohibited from accompanying mortal remains to the cremation ground.
Badly burnt in a kitchen accident last month, Mamta succumbed to her injuries at a Durg hospital two days ago. The fatherless girl's mother, Dujabai, decided to carry her daughter's body to the cremation ground along the river Sheonath with the help of some other women -- against the wishes of the male members of her community.
"I was providing my daughter the best possible education. She was brilliant and extrovert. There is no male member in my family except her uncle. She was my daughter and so I decided to do it myself and without the help of any Brahmin," said Dujabai.
Realising the emotion behind her decision, the leaders of the community bowed before her wishes and called upon other community women to lend Dujabai a helping hand.
"We are proud of Dujabai's decision, and from now we have decided to allow our women to attend all the rituals with male members. They will also read religious scriptures and perform prayers, something that was earlier done only by Brahmins," said KR Markandeya, the convenor of the primitive Satnami community.
Badly burnt in a kitchen accident last month, Mamta succumbed to her injuries at a Durg hospital two days ago. The fatherless girl's mother, Dujabai, decided to carry her daughter's body to the cremation ground along the river Sheonath with the help of some other women -- against the wishes of the male members of her community.
"I was providing my daughter the best possible education. She was brilliant and extrovert. There is no male member in my family except her uncle. She was my daughter and so I decided to do it myself and without the help of any Brahmin," said Dujabai.
Realising the emotion behind her decision, the leaders of the community bowed before her wishes and called upon other community women to lend Dujabai a helping hand.
"We are proud of Dujabai's decision, and from now we have decided to allow our women to attend all the rituals with male members. They will also read religious scriptures and perform prayers, something that was earlier done only by Brahmins," said KR Markandeya, the convenor of the primitive Satnami community.