Hali’s Poetic Endeavors to Change the Perception of Society About the Indian Widows

Abstract


 This paper attempts to address a very sensitive social issue that concerns the status of a widow in the society of the Sub-Continents. The purpose of this paper relates to the period of undivided India. However, the theme takes into its fold the widows also of the present time. Keeping in view the status of women, widows still face many problems as they suffered at classical epic period. The social norms and practices in those days (and even at present) are not much different about widows. In some societies, remarriage of the widow did not allow once their husbands die. This situation is a highly sensitive social issue concerning the rest of the life of the widow who is in many cases is young and has usually many years to live ahead. The social practices and traditions refuse to allow her to live another wedded life which leaves her in a prolonged misery till her death. A widow is generally looked down upon by even her own relations and in-laws. For this reason, Altaf Hussain Hali is found to be the most prominent among the scholar and poet worked for women reforms and had realized the rights of women, especially their right to acquire education. Hali’s prominence is that he wrote a poem ‘Manajaat-e-Bewah’ (Hymn of the widow) and described the pains and grief a young widow has to go through after the sudden death of her husband. The qualitative method was applied and discourse analysis approach was also used to understand the women’s experiences. This paper analyses the prominent role of Hali on this important social issue which remained ignored for centuries and which needs to be addressed forcefully even in present times.