Raja Rammohan Ray: emancipator of women³

One day, a middle-aged man saw a group of people running after a young and beautiful girl. The people were playing on Indian drums, and they kept chasing the girl. The girl was running with all her might.

This middle-aged man happened to be one of India’s pioneer pathfinders of the modern age. A great philanthropist and a very learned man, he had studied Eastern philosophy very thoroughly and was conversant in many languages. As his learning was varied and profound, even so his achievements were vast and wonderful. Right from his adolescence, he had sacrificed his life to bring to the fore the true gems of India’s civilisation and to remove the obstacles that impeded her progress within and without. So when this great soul saw the girl running away, he said, “What is wrong? What is wrong? Why is she running and why are you following after her?”

A few of the people stopped to answer him. “Look, her husband has died. As you know, when the husband dies it is customary for the wife to jump into the burning pyre. This girl is afraid of death, but if she does not burn herself it will be a great evil, according to our custom. The wife has to sacrifice her life, but she does not want to. So we have to force her. We are running to catch her and then we shall throw her onto the pyre.”

“Why, why, why?” said the man.

The people who were chasing her answered, “This is ultimately for her good. The Scriptures say that if the wife dies for the husband, her glory will increase.”

At this the man said, “Forget about that kind of Scripture. If she does not feel love for her husband, why should she have to die? If she does not care for her husband and if she wants to live on earth to do good things for mankind, or if she feels that her own life is precious to her, then it is clearly wrong for her to sacrifice her life.”

“There is no question of feeling in this case,” the people insisted. “It is the law. She has to do it.”

But the man was the spirit of freedom incarnate and he confronted the people, saying, “Wait! I will not allow you.”

“Who are you?” they said. “Do you think you can stand against us?”

“All right,” the man said, “take this girl. I am deeply sorry, but I am helpless to prevent you. One day, however, I shall succeed. One day I shall stop this evil practice of sati. If the wife has to die for the husband, why doesn’t the husband have to sacrifice his life when the wife dies? Why does it not work both ways? This foolish and degrading practice I shall stop. I shall take help from the British Government and put an end to it. This is not mere stupidity; it is infinitely worse. It is a crime against the soul! If women don’t want to die after their husbands have died, if they don’t want to sacrifice their precious lives, then why should they? Each one is responsible to God for his or her own action, for his or her own life and death, so I don’t think it is at all advisable for this practice to be forced on people. I shall stop it, I shall stop it!”

He pleaded with the British Government and since he was well known in British circles and greatly admired for his goodness, the British Government inclined to his point of view. They also found this practice absurd. So they passed a law banning sati.

Many people objected to this order. They thought that if people did not practice sati anymore, then God would be displeased. But again, there were countless millions of people who thought that this man had done the right thing. If a girl really loves her husband, she does not necessarily have to burn herself. If their oneness was very strong, she can pray to God to allow her to join her husband in the other world. And if her prayer is soulful, God will definitely listen to her prayer. But if the wife did not like the husband or hated him, then it is stupidity for her to burn herself just because it is the Indian practice.

The name of this great father of regenerate India was Raja Rammohan Ray. He was a great philosopher, a great worker, a great server, a great patriot, a great dreamer and a great fulfiller of his dream.