Prada Pratha and Mahatma Gandhi

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Senior Gandhian Scholar, Professor, Editor and Linguist

Gandhi International Study and Research Institute, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

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Prada Pratha and Mahatma Gandhi 

 

The belief that anything old is good is a source of numerous wrong practices. If all that is ancient is considered good what about sin? It is very old, but it will ever deserve to be discarded. Untouchability is also old, but it is a sin, therefore we should give it up. The same is true of drinking and gambling. If a thing which lies within the province of reason…which can be proved to be right or wrong with the aid of reason, does not appeal to reason, it would deserve to be immediately given up. However old purdah may be, reason cannot accept it today. The harm it has done is self-evident. We should not try to justify purdah as we do in the case of many other things by putting an ideal interpretation on this custom. In fact the way it is now observed, it can stand no such interpretation.

The truth is that purdah is not an external affair, it is something internal. Many women who observe purdah externally are found to be immodest. However, a woman who retains her modesty without observing external purdah deserves to be worshipped. And fortunately there is no dearth of such women in the world even today. In the scriptures we find many terms which had an external meaning at one time but which are interpreted at present analogically. One such is yajna. Now we know that the killing of animals is not a true yajna. True yajna consists in burning up the animal passions within us. One can quote hundreds of such examples. Therefore those desirous of reforming and saving Hindu society need not be afraid of ancient conventions. We cannot find better principles than the old ones. But the way they are to be put into practice must continue to change. Change is a sign of growth while stagnation is the beginning of decay. The world changes every moment. Only the dead do not change. Immobility is thus a sign of death. We are not talking here of the immobility, the calmness of the yogi in the calmness of the yogi there lies hidden the speediest motion. There is in that calmness the utmost wakefulness of the atman. We are talking here of inert immobility…in other words, of inertia. Enslaved by this inertia we are driven willingly to acquiesce in all old evil customs. It prevents us from making any progress. This very inertia comes in our way in the attainment of swaraj. Now let us see how the purdah causes us harm.

1. It prevents women from receiving education.

2. It makes them timid.

3. It ruins their health.

4. It comes in the way of normal relationship between men and women.

5. It engenders in them a sense of inferiority.

6. Women lose contact with the outside world and as a result they are deprived of their due experience.

7. It prevents a woman from performing her role as man’s better half.

8. Those women whose observe purdah cannot play their full role in the struggle for swaraj?

9. Purdah comes in the way of children’s education. Considering all these ill effects, it is the duty of all intelligent Hindus to do away with this evil custom as with the other reforms so also with the purdah. Charity must begin at home. When others observe the good results of our actions, they will naturally emulate our example. It is, however, important to remember one thing:

A reformer must always be gentle and courteous. If in doing away with purdah our aim is observance of restraint, then it is our duty to take this step and we will surely succeed in our effort. But if what we aim at is not restraint but licence, it will not be possible to remove the purdah, because the public will then resent the move and in anger may even support this evil custom. The people are pure in their hearts and cannot respect a movement with an impure objective.  

Reference:

Hindi Navajivan, 27-6-1929