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Women In Hindu Society
In ancient patriarchal societies, the birth of a girl was generally not welcomed. The daughter was considered the weaker sex and did not have an important role to play in family matters. During the Vedic period, as also in the ancient period, the birth of a female child was accepted although a male child was preferred. As time passed, the conditions for a girl in society changed for the worse, eventually leading to the heinous crimes of foeticide and infanticide. Despite the efforts of educationists and social reformers, the status of women has not improved dramatically. Over the years numerous social, constitutional, and legislative measures have been implemented to empower women economically and politically. It is tragic that even in the twenty-first century, rape, dowry deaths, and other crimes against women are rampant. This book studies the status of Hindu women from the Vedic Age to the present, analysing the steps taken to improve their condition. Education and economic empowerment of women alone can bring about positive change and reduce gender bias. A transformation in the attitude of men is necessary if the notion of equality between men and women has to be more than a distant dream.
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Hindusim : Triumphs and Tribulations
Sanatana Dharma,which later came to be known as Hinduism,goes back at least five thousand years.In the course of its long journey through the centuries,it evolved,transformed,flourished and sometimes floundered.A succession of invasions by foreign powers significantly changed the ancient culture,in many ways contributing to it s richness and at the same time damaging and redefining it. In this honest and introspective study of the history of Hinduism,the author analyses it s strengths and weaknesses,and addresses it s contradicitions through contemporary eyes.He traces the origins of negative practices like untouchability and casteism that have crept into Hindu society.Debating the issue of conversion in India,he examines the nature and meaning of secularism in a multi-religious society.This book helps to clarify many misconceptions about Hinduism.