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The story of Haritha shared on Humans of Amsterdam Facebook page is an inspiration for all those who feel that 'Leave' is not an option in a bad relationship.
Haritha’s story, shared on the Humans of Amsterdam Facebook page is an inspiration for all those who feel that ‘Leave’ is not an option in a bad relationship.
The story of Haritha, an Indian woman who now lives an independent life in Amsterdam after a harrowing marital experience, is a story that is not hard to find. Haritha can be you, me, a friend, neighbour, sister or even our daughters. There is a Haritha in every corner of India.
It doesn’t matter how educated our girls are, it doesn’t matter how well she is earning, it doesn’t matter whether she is the CEO of a multi-national company, – girls in the Indian society are expected to make compromises and adjustments throughout their lives. It is the societal norm. First for their parents, then their in-laws, then husband and then their children.
Haritha can be any other Indian woman who gets married for the wrong reasons, thanks to a sense of misplaced rationality fueled by the roots of patriarchy and overly anxious parents at the helm who choose to sacrifice the life and happiness of their daughter rather than letting go of their ‘family honour’.
‘Divorce’ is still a taboo subject in India, more-so for women. Parents force their daughters to stay in bad marriages because they feel that it will ruin their daughter’s life, – not to mention the disgrace it will bring to the ‘family honour’. Such is the state of women in a country that hails goddesses, calls them ‘Shakti’ and engages in revelry and celebrations for nine days during ‘Navratris’.
The story of Haritha touches a chord among all women who refuse to be identified with only a man’s name. Her story is a fight against the regressive laws of the land where a woman can only have the name of her father or husband on an official document; her story is a fight against all injustice meted out to our daughters in the name of culture, family name, tradition and laws.
Haritha’s story is filled with tumultuous twists and turns but the determination with which she fought all those adversities resonates with millions of women around the world. Her fight against hegemonic masculinity gives a lot of women the inspiration and courage they need and deserve, and it hits home hard for a lot of Indian women.
Image: Humans Of Amsterdam
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Just because they are married a husband isn’t entitled to be violent to his wife. Just because a man is "in love" with a woman, it doesn't give him a right to be violent.
Trigger Warning: This speaks of graphic details of violence against women and may be triggering for survivors.
Anger is a basic human emotion, just like happiness or being sad. One chooses his/her way of expressing that emotion. It is safe until that action stays within oneself.
What happens when that feeling is forced upon another? The former becomes the perpetrator, and the latter turns out to be the victim.
Rrashima Swaarup Verma's new bestselling book The Royal Scandal is a celebration of the spirit of womanhood set in the 18th Century.
Rrashima Swaarup Verma’s new bestselling book The Royal Scandal is a celebration of the spirit of womanhood.
A true love story. A tale of politics, treachery and war. A piece from India’s rich history. A vivid description of 18th century life in the Deccan. Yes, The Royal Scandal is all that and more. But it is also an aide-mémoire of the tremendous fortitude, the unbeatable spirit that women are, and have always been, capable of.
18th century, Hyderabad, India. A time and place when societal laws and rules came down heavy on the female gender, when zenanas separated and shielded the women from the world outside, when it was understood and accepted that the men in their lives would govern and dictate every big and small decision.
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