Guru Granth Sahib and the Empowerment of Women
Dr. Gurnam Kaur
1. Introduction
Sri Guru Granth Sahib and Empowerment of Women furthers my first paper i.e. Sri Guru Granth Sahib and Gender Equation. This topic is the burning subject of the day because it is related with non-conventional role and status of women. It is the most sought-after subject these days. It seeks improvement in the status of women and the emancipation of women. There have been so many movements in the West especially in the European countries like France and in USA related with the so-called women's lib. In this paper I would like to see what is the meaning of women empowerment and what is the attitude towards women empowerment in Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
According to "International Encyclopedia of Women" there are two fundamental points, "Empowering women and improving their status are essential to realize the full potential economic, political, social development", and, "Empowering women is an important end in itself. And as women acquire the same status, opportunities and social, economic and legal rights as men, as they acquire the right to reproductive health and the right to protection against gender-based violence, human well-being will be enhanced."
Definition
It is not so easy to define the empowerment. In trying to understand the term different writers have given their views as Nelly Stromquest says, "a process to change the distribution of power both in interpersonal relations and in institutions throughout society", Lucy Lazo opines that, "a process of acquiring, providing, bestowing the resources and the means or enabling the access to a control over such means and resources." These definitions are mostly concerned with the material control or gains and the social concerns. Aksornkool cites Paz's definition of empowerment as, "the ability to direct and control one's own life".
2. Historical and Cultural Background
"Empowerment" is the modern term developed in the later half of twentieth century in America when the struggle for the rights of Afro-American groups started. Now the text of Sri Guru Granth Sahib with the study of which we are concerned for the present paper covers the period from twelfth century (Baba Farid, 1173 A.D.) to seventeenth century (Guru Gobind Singh 1708 A.D.). So there is the time gap of 300 years or so in this context of the term. In the period earlier to Guru Nanak, the position and condition of women was not very encouraging rather she was living in multi-constraints. On the one hand she was crushed in the Hindu male dominated society in many rituals like Sati and Purda etc., on the other she was to live under veil as a Muslim woman, at the same she was to live under the fear of loosing her modesty (she may be Hindu or Muslim) because of the regular invasions by the Muslims plunderers. We find many references to this effect in the Bani of Guru Granth Sahib. So the Indian woman was living in a miserable state.
3. Analysis
Guru Nanak was the first one to make her conscious of her worth and status, her dignity and modesty. In this paper we are to see whether the Sikh woman was living under restrictions or she was entitled to same the dignity and right to which the Sikh-male was. Some Western and Eastern scholars are of the opinion that the consciousness of the gender equality and empowerment of women was introduced by Singh Sabha movement. But that is not the case. If we analyse the Bani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib we can well understand that this type of consciousness is very much available in the Bani. In the Bani, the Guru have addressed themselves as one Nanak Joti only because they were enlightened by the same divine light. Then the seeker is addressed to as the bride, (wjbkHHH). So here the concept of woman transcends all constraints. In the Bani God is considered the only male and all other beings are His females.
Discussion :
The model available for the empowerment of women is based on the gender equality as both male and female are treated as equal, as human beings only. She has the equal right to spiritual experience. There is no concept of being her impure or pure in certain circumstances. Guru Nanak broke all these barriers. There is no concept of "Sutak" and anything like that. She is not asked to be subordinate to male member of the family as is given in Manu Simrity. Nor she is asked to reborn as male to get emancipation as in Buddhism and Jainism. In Jaina system a Jaina monk does not enter through the same door or she even should not walk on the same carpet. (It happened in a university in the modern times). Neither she is considered responsible for the fall of man from paradise or original sin as in Chirstianity. Neither she is asked to remain under veil. Seeker as woman or bride has been glorified and transcends her worldly limitations. She is asked to shun the veil. Similarly the ideology propounded by Guru Nanak is carried further by the successor Gurus and strengthened into theology. Guru Nanak gave the thesis, "so kion manda aakhiai", and Guru Amardas, the third Guru rejected the idea of Sati i.e. to burn oneself on the funeral pyre of the husband. She is asked to emancipate herself from such cultural rituals and customs, which become bondage for her.
The Model provided in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is for striking a harmony between the genders. Through "so kion manda aakhiai", Guru Nanak reminds the society of its social responsibility towards women. Woman in spirit has more potential than man because of her creative concerns. She can play more important role in family and society as well as in religion. She is made conscious of her dignity by Guru Nanak in Babar Bani. She is to strengthen herself to keep her dignity intact. She is reminded of her pride.
4. Conclusion
The Model provided by Guru Granth Sahib gave a new hope to the women in society especially the Sikh women and influenced her life religiously, socially as well as spiritually. The Bani provided a ground for her to stand and she equipped with the spiritual strength and guidance made great achievements as well and created a space for herself. But still there always remains a gap between the theory and practice though it is not acceptable in Gurbani. The Sikh society still is a man-dominated society and because of this factor she is deprived of many rights on institutional level e.g. the right to clean floors in Harmander Sahib in the early hours, to recite Gurbani there or to give shoulder to the palki or touch it. It is in the same manner in which in earlier times some special section of the Sikhs was not allowed to offer Parshad.
In the social context she is being burnt by in-laws because of dowery and the rate of dowery deaths is on increase in the Sikhs. Another problem is woman-infanticide because of the above-mentioned reason, though in Sikh Rahit-Maryada it is considered a crime. In most of the cases she is suffering because of the marriage to N.R.I. Being a Khalsa she herself has to unite and put efforts to improve her situation. She has to strengthen herself spiritually as well as physically and socially to overcome all these obstacles and assert her right.
This is the 21st century and Sikh society in its true spirit should follow the model provided by the Guru in Bani and should make collective efforts to strengthen her and to give her due rights.
(Dr. Gurnam Kaur)
* Reference from "International Encyclopaedia of Women" by Digumarti Bhaskara Rao and Digumarti Pushpa Latha. (Discovery Publishing House, New Delhi-110002), 1998.