Brainfade Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Acutally, just one comment: Sensationalism at its worst. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/05/damon.india.widows/index.html
beetle Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Really sad!I wonder how the family members sleep knowing this.This is something we should truely be ashamed of.
Ram Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Acutally, just one comment: Sensationalism at its worst. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/05/damon.india.widows/index.html Sensationalism ? I dont get it.. The stories in that article are heart-wrenching ! I always believed that there are two kinds of people who need the most care -The really young and the really old. I shall make sure that the best days in the lives of my parents are the ones which are going to happen from now on.
Brainfade Posted July 5, 2007 Author Posted July 5, 2007 Sensationalism ? I dont get it.. The stories in that article are heart-wrenching ! I always believed that there are two kinds of people who need the most care -The really young and the really old. I shall make sure that the best days in the lives of my parents are the ones which are going to happen from now on. I agree with everything you said as far as the stories themselves and the plight of the women. There is no question that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. My sensationalism comment stemmed from 2 factors: (a) The article makes it sound like this is a mainstream occurrence in India, which it is not. In other words, not all widows are doomed to experience the travails described in the stories. (b) I feel somewhat violated that an "outsider" like CNN put this story on their cover page. In other words - if this story was in "The Hindu" or "The Times of India," it wouldn't have upset me in this regard.
The Outsider Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 I feel somewhat violated that an "outsider" like CNN put this story on their cover page. In other words - if this story was in "The Hindu" or "The Times of India," it wouldn't have upset me in this regard. What a naive reasoning. Just because our media doesn't tire of putting Aishwarya and Abhishek on the front page as news, others should stop doing good journalism.
Brainfade Posted July 5, 2007 Author Posted July 5, 2007 I agree with everything you said as far as the stories themselves and the plight of the women. There is no question that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. My sensationalism comment stemmed from 2 factors: (a) The article makes it sound like this is a mainstream occurrence in India, which it is not. In other words, not all widows are doomed to experience the travails described in the stories. (b) I feel somewhat violated that an "outsider" like CNN put this story on their cover page. In other words - if this story was in "The Hindu" or "The Times of India," it wouldn't have upset me in this regard. I suppose so. My post was more emotional than reasoned. On the one hand, I was upset that people from my birth-nation treat their elders like this. On the other, I am mad that it took an outsider to point it out. I, must, however disagree with your "good journalism" comment. Good journalism is characterized by balance and proper context. Interviews with who live a dignified life with loving families may have provided some of that. As is, the article is tabloid material. At least, IMO.
Gaurav Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 I saw the clip yesterday on CNN and it hurt me on so many levels. My initial reaction was why is CNN so anti-India but within one second I realized that CNN's motive are irrelevant. The widow cr@p happens in the country of my birth and it needs to be fixed! In my own extended family there is a widow and I have seen first hand how she is always put at the back during auspicious occasions (marriages etc). The mentality that widows are bearer of bad luck is very common in India! That mentality provides the framework which results in more extreme cases like the ones documented on CNN.
Ram Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 I, must, however disagree with your "good journalism" comment. Good journalism is characterized by balance and proper context. Interviews with who live a dignified life with loving families may have provided some of that. As is, the article is tabloid material. At least, IMO. I wont definately call that article as a piece of good journalism. "Good journalism is characterized by balance and proper context." - is an excellent point. In that article, in the top right they had put some highlights of the article. It went something like this -- There are million of widows in India , Widows in India are ill-treated and ostracized by the society, Which seem to suggest as though , all of the millions of widows had become destitutes, which surely is not the truth. Any outsider ( who has no idea about the social conditions in India) will be tempted to think that there millions of destitute , head shaven ostracized widows in India , which is not the truth.
The Outsider Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Deepa Mehta's Water was made on the same storyline thought was set in pre-independence India. But such evils do still exist in India.
The Outsider Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 There might have been better ways to portray things in the article, but the author is not trying to distort facts. He gives them upright, so there is no question of him trying to mislead people that millions live like that : It's believed that 15,000 widows live on the streets of Vrindavan, a city of about 55,000 in northern India.
Dhondy Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 My first reaction was that of Cricaddict. These guys in the western media love to show our warts and all to their viewers to make them feel good. For every good news clip, there are two such stories. How about the plight of the elders in the west? Forsaken by their family unless they have a house to be bequeathed, living on help provided by carers from the social services, falling again and again in their homes with nobody to turn to and ultimately dying a lonely death, unloved and unmourned. Maybe there's an article for CNN just there? Why do I get the feeling it will never see the light of the day though?
The Outsider Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 How about the plight of the elders in the west? Forsaken by their family unless they have a house to be bequeathed, living on help provided by carers from the social services, falling again and again in their homes with nobody to turn to and ultimately dying a lonely death, unloved and unmourned. They do write on all this as well, Dhondy. I remember reading a detailed article on similar lines on the Wall Street Journal a few months back. Anyhow, here is what a quick google search gave me for CNN : http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0203/24/sm.16.html Am sure you can find many more articles like that.
Ram Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 There might have been better ways to portray things in the article' date=' but the author is not trying to distort facts. He gives them upright, so there is no question of him trying to mislead people that millions live like that :[/quote'] For a white person , after reading this artice, it will be VERY easy for him to think that all of the widows in India are like this, which is what i have problem with.
kumble_rocks Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Another instance of Hinduism failing to protect women's rights. Man , looks like we are no better than Islamic countries whom we readily criticize.
Ram Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Another instance of Hinduism failing to protect women's rights. Man ' date=' looks like we are no better than Islamic countries whom we readily criticize.[/quote'] Whats a son telling his mom " I cant take care of you , go away! " got to do with hinduism ?
kumble_rocks Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Whats a son telling his mom " I cant take care of you ' date=' go away! " got to do with hinduism ?[/quote'] Their is a pattern. Women's condition especially in rural India has not improved much all these years. If we criticize Islam as a factor for not protecting women's rights in Muslim countries , then it is only fair to hold Hinduism accountable for failure to protect women's rights all these years in India.
theguyinallblue Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Their is a pattern. Women's condition especially in rural India has not improved much all these years. If we criticize Islam as a factor for not protecting women's rights in Muslim countries ' date=' then it is only fair to hold Hinduism accountable for failure to protect women's rights all these years in India.[/quote'] K_R..how many times in a day..you bring hinduism in your daily chores.. except for your morning prayers...when do you practice hindiusm? women rights in india can be protected by better implementation of Indian Penal Code...and not by hinduism...
Predator_05 Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 Heh. India rising, my @ss. That country is a century behind the west.
Dhondy Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 I bet you that poor woman in that photo wouldn't have had to be exiled in Vrindavan, had she had a daughter. Men are such scumbags. Indian men are no different. Compare that with the compassion shown by women, like the lady who started "Amar Bari".
kumble_rocks Posted July 5, 2007 Posted July 5, 2007 K_R..how many times in a day..you bring hinduism in your daily chores.. except for your morning prayers...when do you practice hindiusm? women rights in india can be protected by better implementation of Indian Penal Code...and not by hinduism... I see posters including your truly criticize Islam for it's failure to protect women's rights time and again. Even I have criticized Sharia laws which are medieval to say the least. I hear Hindu proponent here who proclaim that Hinduism is more of a philosophy and way of life rather than religion. Then surely it must have played some role in the failure to protect women's rights as can be seen from all social indicators when the subject is plight of women in rural India.
Recommended Posts