Karva Chauth: Totally Regressive Or Totally Your Right To Choose?

It's that time of the year again. The time when millenial women stand divided with status messages on social media ranging from calling Karvachauth regressive, oppressive and absolutely ridiculous to those who keep the fast, following tradition and defending their reasons to stay hungry for a day. So the question arises. Is fasting a day for your husband's supposedly long life completely sexist, steeped in misogyny and taking us back a few centuries? Or is it a free country with every woman having a right to choose?

Image via Nilofer and Subir

Our take : We think there are far too many labels and judgements flung around casually when it comes to women. The ability to look beyond things like - changing our last names, or the type of clothes we wear or which festival we choose to celebrate, determines really how progressive we are.

Just like no judgement should be imparted to a woman who chooses to gorge on cupcakes on Karva Chauth, the same courtesy must be extended to those who choose not to do the same. Just like no judgement should be imparted to women who prioritise their careers over having kids, the same courtesy should be extended to those who do the opposite. We work 70 hours a week, earn equal or more wages than our husbands, join the forces, fly to space and yet having one day label us into rebels vs traditionalists or worse seems to belittle the very notion of being a progressive Indian woman.

When we think of a progressive India we think of Indian women having the freedom and right to choose. A right to choose to work, a right to choose when to have children, or to have them at all, a right to choose whether to change their last name, and a right to choose whether to celebrate a festival or not. Each to their own- without any judgement! So you do you!