TEEJ – A TRADITIONAL PATRIARCHAL BULLSHIT

As I begin to write this, I am glad Facebook does not have a “Hate” button.

For me, Teej is a meaningless traditional ritual that enslaves women and chains them to a myth of them being docile, meek and sacrificial tokens. This doesn’t portray a good wife but it's a personification of a FOOLISH woman who blindly and unquestioningly does what an oppressive culture dictates. The greatest irony is that young and educated women increasingly celebrate this mockery of women in the name of celebrating womanhood.

Teej is nothing but a dyspotian mindset that smacks of misogyny, patriarchy and oppression – I know I am ruffling quite a bit of feathers here! But, never mind! I dare say that Teej is just a ritual best wrapped up in pseudo love, and worst a cruel instrument of social control on women’s agency. Worse yet, nowadays a cultural legitimacy is slathered to make it look like a “family celebration”. Why on earth would you choose Teej, a signpost of female subordination, to make a family celebration?

Then there is another cohort which tries to bring in the “parity” aspect to refute congenital lop-sidedness. A man suddenly becomes a fasting company to his wife. I believe this act is just a sign of sympathy to women folks and a well-thought-out patriarchal tool to cover a murky inequality perpetuated by Teej. A co-fasting man is no one but our society’s metrosexual man who is then raised to a magnanimous character who cares for his wife. Some metrosexual men have gone extra-miles in wishing women Teej in their modern offices. I tell you that by doing so, the patriarchal dice still turns in their favour. So, why would not they happily promote Teej at workplace?   

The women are happy. The men are happy. So, you might say, “what’s your problem?”. Well, my problem is that through generations, men and women have continued to promote and protect patriarchal values, inequality and injustice through a bullshit (oops!) culture like this one. Any culture that connotes discrimination and inequality is nothing less than an “explicit violence”.  

So, when someone flaunts patriarchal symbols including chhadke tilahari, sindoor and dar in the name of Teej, please do not feel under pressure to press the like button every time.

As I finish writing this, how I wish Facebook did carry the "Hate" button!