𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓿𝓮

Babisha, 75 years old resides in Delhi. She was from Tamilnadu. She was living with her grandchildren and two sons. She hates modernization. She was witnessing the transformation of forests into an industry. She wanted her grandchildren to understand traditionalism. Her grandchildren loved to listen to her stories.

On a particular day, all her grandchildren surrounded her. She saw one of her grandsons chewing gum. Babi wanna teach her grandchildren about the enigmatic and epochal power of Tamil Nadu. Babi told them it's not healthy to chew gums. Babi told, "I was very flabbergasted to see the sudden transformation in the society. Once we are happy to spend time with nature. But now, none spend time with nature".

"Grandma, what is nature? Can you tell us?", asked Prem.

"I will tell you".

Nearly 2 centuries ago.,.

Tamil Nadu is a southern state of India which is supremely rich in culture and heritage. Known to be one of the oldest civilisations in the world, the people of Tamil Nadu belong to the prestigious Dravidian Family. Villages were considered the backbones of economic growth. Many depended on agriculture for their livelihood. Animal husbandry was also encouraged. Milk production was encouraged. Lands were divided into Nansei and Punsei lands (based on their irrigation qualities and soil qualities). Two-season cultivations were carried out every year. People lived with nature and lead a healthy life. There were no diseases like Corona or cancer. People were happy forever. But now, everything seems to be changing. The food of the  too modified according to the development.

"Which is your favourite food? Prem".

"Hamburger, Pizza."

"Why do you choose it?" 

"Yummy and tasty, Granny".

"Do you know that the children below 5 years are affected by cancer due to overconsumption of junk foods".

"No, Granny from today I will never eat it. Grandma, tell me what are the healthy foods?"

"Ragi, pulses, cereals are healthy food. Eating ice cream too reduces immunity".

"Granny, I have heard girl children were not allowed to study in the olden days. Tell me more about it"

"Sure".

The traditional practices of child marriage, purdah, and widowhood. Sati, dowry, and violence denied major freedom to women. There were very much against the liberties enjoyed by the Indian males dominating and abusing their rights against women. Women and female children were denied basic rights like education, freedom of movement, and liberty to speak, work, and marry on their own. The Indian women were silently tolerating all the social evils and tortures aimed at them from different corners of the society and family even without raising a cry of protest up to the 18th century.

The British rulers of India and the Christian missionaries opened the gates of religious learning to the women of India to spread their religion and philosophy in the 19th century. The invention of the printing press facilitated the publishing of books, periodicals and pamphlets to preach religion.

Devadasis were dancing girls attached to the Tamil temples, who subsisted by dancing and singing music and the practice of oldest profession in the world.

Amy Carmichael settled in southern India. 

Amy's new place of ministry was Dohnavur, situated in Tamil Nadu, thirty miles from the southern tip of India. In March 1901 a little girl named Preena came to Amy. Preena was 7 years old and had just escaped from a nearby Hindu temple, where she had been held against her will. The Hindu temple system at that time had temple prostitutes, and Preena had been sold to the temple to be trained in prostitution. She had tried to escape twice before but was caught both times. As a punishment for her attempted escapes, Preena was beaten, and her hands were branded with hot irons.

On her third attempt to escape her misery, Preena ended up at the door of Amy Carmichael. It was a divinely appointed meeting, and Amy saw it as such. The young missionary is determined to save Preena despite the protests of the local Hindu temple. Amy Carmichael loved and respected Indian culture. 

Carmichael continued her work in the faith mission style, establishing an orphanage in Dohnavur. The orphanage first cared for girls who had been temple girls, who would eventually become temple prostitutes. Later the orphanage accepted boys as well.

Later many reformers emerged to transform the society. 

A woman was not supposed to go out of the threshold of her house when her husband went out to work. She was supposed to blindly obey her husband and follow in his footsteps, and listen with respect to whatever the husband and other elders in the household wanted her to do. She was not supposed to go to school and get educated. She had to walk a few steps behind her husband. She was bound in child marriage and often gave birth to kids at a very young age soon after maturity. Even in the mid-19th century, women had absolutely no rights in society and had to be subjugated to their husbands and others in society. At such a time, Bharati's thoughts and views aired through his songs and poems came as a clarion call to wake up and respect the women-folk in the society, Working for women's causes through inspiring poems and songs. He worked for the cause of women like shunning child marriages, supporting widow remarriage, right to women's education, equal treatment to women as meted out to men in society, right of women to enter politics, right of women to rise to high offices just as the men in society etc. He penned many songs and poems for the uplift of women in a society like 'Penngal Vidudhalai', the celebration of women's emancipation, and 'Pudumai Penn', in which he conceptualized the contemporary new-age women of tomorrow. He glorifies womanhood in his poetry and follows what he preached in real life. 

He encouraged his wife Chellamma and his two daughters to emerge from the recess of their inner courtyard and proudly stepped out of his house with his wife walking beside him hand in hand which was something unheard of as the women were supposed to walk a few steps behind their husbands in traditional Indian society. His hard-hitting songs and powerful verses combined classical and contemporary elements and expressed a progressive and reformist zeal and ideal that endeared him to many. He employed novel artistry in weaving and communicating his ideas through his songs.

The Indian Social Reformer expressed the view of women radicals like K.D. Rukmani Ammal demanded the same type of education for both boys and girls. 

" I wanna tell you some information about transport", uttered Babi. 

" Once we are travelled in a bullock cart. It didn't affect the environment. I haven't heard the word petrol in my childhood. But now all the streets were polluted due to the pollution. I advise you my dear grandchildren to understand the history and culture of our nation. Follow the rules and regulations of the ancestors. Ear healthy foods."

All grandchildren thanked Babi for making them understand the traditionalism of India. India is a vast country with lots of language and culture.

It is in our hands to expose the past beauty of our nation to our children.  Pride of India lies in the hands of the upcoming generation.