The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c7.s3.57

c7.s3.57

The passing of the Sarda Act in 1929, penalising the marriages of girls before the age of 14, produced a reaction in the orthodox section of Hindu society, some members of which proceeded to openly break the law. Their protests and propaganda, however, are not likely to help the cause of the child marriage to any appreciable degree. The fact is that all those secular causes, which favoured the custom of the child marriage, are rapidly disappearing now. The joint family system is disintegrating, the economic struggle is becoming hard, and the theory that girls need not be educated like boys has ceased to appeal to society. The injunction of the later Smṛitis prescribing pre-puberty marriages is of course there, but the thoughtful section of Hindu society feels that it should be now set aside in favour of the view of the earlier Dharmaśāstra writers, who permitted the postponement of girls' marriages to about the age of 16 or 17. In accepting and following the theory of post-puberty marriages Hindu society is merely returning to the old custom of the Vedic and Epic times. It need not therefore be regarded as anti-religious at all. The main reason that was responsible for popularising post-puberty marriages in the early period of Hindu history was the great concern which society felt over the question of girls' education. Precisely the same reason is now helping the cause of post-puberty marriages. In the past a few ladies known as Brahmavādinīs used to remain for ever unmarried, as they were anxious to devote themselves entirely to the cause of learning and religion. The phenomenon is repeating itself in modern times. To-day also we have some ladies in society, who prefer to remain unmarried because they want to devote themselves to the cause of education and social service. The recently founded Servants of Women Society of Poona has laid it down that its members shall remain unmarried, so that they should find it possible to devote themselves wholly and solely to the cause of the Society.