Karwa Chauth- Love, Regression or Fainting Feminism

Fast, Faith or Fatigue Feminism?

Karva Chauth—that auspicious day in the Indian wife's life, where they ceremoniously go 12 hours without food or water… not for self-love or weight loss, but for “their husband’s long life.” A festival where devotion meets dehydration, tradition meets trending hashtags[now], and everyone from your auntie in Lalaland to a lifestyle influencer in Bandra suddenly rediscovers her innate Sati Savitri.

And there comes- Modern Media or New-age Feminism

Armed with clickbait, hot takes, and a burning desire to liberate women from their own choices, it declares Karva Chauth “regressive,” “deep-seated patriarchal,” and “fasting with Stockholm Syndrome.” Because apparently, feminism ends where mehendi-chooda begins.

The Argument

Why should only women starve for men?

Ahem, why should animals be sacrificed for your tradition? Err, I am talking about poor cows too, who are milked their way to make your plate tasty. And they don't make for the huge shopping TG during the process. Some may say- Men [inspired by YashRaj's DDLJ] are too fast for their women. But how many?

Even the quintessential Raj tried to sneak some Samosas, but Sim-ran the idea off with austerity. Yeah- some women may say- first KC syndrome. 

In the defence of the tradition, it is not an oppression but an expression. And in the day where traditions are replaced by commoditization and relationships curdle faster than milk, maybe this "once in a year" day of the symbolic intention-inst that bad?

And no, I will not equate it with Triple Talak, Hijab, et cetera, that a lot of people on cybergates are pointlessly comparing. 

Call it armchair modernisation that we think women fasting for love or sanctity of marriage is funny, but at the same time, we celebrate detox challenges, celibacy retreats in the name of self-love. 

Indeed, movies play a big role in marketing and social media trending adds to your FOMO. Sometimes, by not fasting, we women feel guilty AF, that we trade it for rather completing and slapping back as a favour or "see we can do this as well". Ouch!

Faith, Fashion or Suhagan Vibes

To some, it is faith, a symbolic representation and to some it's a plain ritual. And there are many for whom it is incredible and objectionable. If you see, it is also a social celebration wherein, from the mundane life, the women get some breather to indulge in a festival that may be men-centric but also has women at its nucleus. Of course, faith and fashion change hands and calling every harmless tradition regressive or over-justifying something has a big scope for social media content, jobless discussions. Well, to each their own. It ain't just about fasting or feasting but about selecting -what to keep, what to evolve and what to debate about. And if you can do all this before fainting or without fainting before this moonrise- Congratulations, you have successfully renewed your annual Insurance, oops, you have achieved modern balance. 

And if you have made your husband along or respect you at least for this single day- congratulations, that's another level of modern man-age-ment [al].

Do whatever rocks your boat as long as it is harmless [self or others] and brings Happy endings.

Happy Karwachauth 

[Kyunki all festivals all subh]

Numerounity