Text: Zhao Gongzi
Editor|Zhao Gongzi
Sources: All statements in this article are based on sources believed to be reliable
Preface
With the continuous progress and development of the times, the concept of equality between men and women has gradually taken root in the hearts of the people, but in the country of India, this is not the case.
Do you know what a "water wife" is? Do you know why there are a large number of "water wives" in India? Do you know why the "water wife" is the poorest?
Women who often become "water wives" will be squeezed by their husbands all their lives, and they will be their husband's "faucet" all their lives.
And in order to get water, what kind of inhuman treatment will a woman who has become a "water wife" endure?
What is an Indian "water wife"
As a special term for Indian women, "water wife" does not refer to a tender wife, on the contrary, the fate of "water wife" is very tragic.
What is even more puzzling is that even in today's modern society, the status of the "water wife" is not as good as that of the women in the old society.
In India, there are many remote areas, not only is their transportation inconvenient, but even the water source is a big problem, and there is no water source for hundreds of miles.
For Indians in these places, all the usual water supply is provided through wells far away, but they have to trek for several hours.
Therefore, the local people will take their wives by taking their wives and fetching water back and forth every day, which is the so-called "water wife".
Don't look at it in India, it seems that polygamy is often heard, but in fact for Hindus, polygamy is illegal.
But as a last resort, they need labor, so they choose to marry a few more wives illegally, simply to let them fetch water for their families.
The above content is referenced from China Youth Daily on July 30, 2019 about "In Indian villages, the lack of water has given rise to a group of 'water wives'".
From here, it is not difficult to see that the existence of the "water wife" is not so much a wife, but rather a "livestock" that exists specifically for drawing water.
According to the Smithsonian Magazine, many people in India are married for water, and most of these "water wives" are satisfied with their current situation.
Because most of the "water wives" were widows before, or abandoned by their previous husbands, in short, their previous lives were even worse than those of the "water wives".
In India, where the dry season can sometimes last up to eight months, these "water wives" usually go out to fetch water with cans at sunrise.
These canisters can hold about 15 liters of water, and a "mizuma" usually has to carry two canisters on top of it, going back and forth for more than 10 kilometers, and the mountain road has to go up and downhill.
The above content is based on Xinhuanet's June 8, 2015 report on "It is popular to marry "water wives" in arid areas of India to fetch water for her husband's family".
The long-term social environment has made this strange phenomenon in India, marriage is just to have one more person in the family to fetch water, and that's it.
But this is not an isolated case, this kind of lowly status can be seen everywhere in India, as a cow and a horse "water wife", and this is what they "fought for"!
So, why is it said that being able to become a "water wife" can be regarded as burning high incense? It's all about the caste system in India.
Marriages linked to the caste system
In recent years, with the popularity of Indian films, more and more people around the world have begun to take an interest in the amazing country of India.
In particular, the discussion of social issues and the status of women in the film has brought widespread attention to the disadvantaged status of Indian women.
In her book The Secret of Marriage, author Elizabeth Flock makes an insightful discussion about it, and she believes that there is no better country to discuss love and marriage than India.
In Flock's view, India is perhaps the most marriage-obsessed country in the world, and as a typical patriarchal society, marriage in India requires a bride price.
Yes, this is one of the biggest differences from China, in India, it is the woman's family who gives the man a bride price, and in their eyes, marrying a daughter is asking another family to take in her daughter.
According to a 2018 report by the Hindustan Times, police in West Bengal caused a huge stir when they arrested a woman's husband and brother.
Rita Shakar, who was named Rita Shaka, married her current husband when she was 16 years old, but was often abused by her husband because she could not afford to pay the dowry of Rs. 200,000 at the time.
You know, 200,000 rupees is equivalent to 20,000 yuan, but because of this 20,000 yuan, Shaka's husband actually sold her kidney.
Two years ago, according to Shaka's recollection, she felt a stomachache that her husband took her to a private clinic for a minor operation.
Originally, Saka thought that this was an operation to remove appendicitis, but what she didn't expect was that after the operation, her body had various conditions.
But in the face of his wife Shaka's worsening condition, the husband not only ignored it, but also threatened Shaka not to tell her about the fact that she had undergone surgery.
It wasn't until Saka couldn't bear it anymore that he went to a regular hospital for an examination accompanied by his parents, and the result of the examination turned out to be the loss of his right kidney.
Only then did Zi Shaka finally understand that it was her husband who sold her kidney, so Shaka's family chose to call the police.
In the end, the Indian police arrested Shaka's husband and brother, but Shaka's mother-in-law was not arrested according to the law, and it is said that she is still on the run.
The above content is based on a report on February 9, 2018 about "Unable to pay a dowry of 20,000 yuan, an Indian woman was sold by her husband and mother-in-law in partnership to sell her kidney".
From this example, can it be seen that in fact, it is very lucky to be a "water wife" in India?
Although the mandatory dowry requirement for marriage was banned in India as early as 1961, changing customs cannot be solved by a single bill.
Marriage customs in India have a lot to do with their caste system, even in today's modern society.
Flock has mentioned this issue in an interview with the Beijing News, and she believes that although the caste system in India is not as important as it used to be, it still has a deep impact.
In some of India's big cities, few people talk about the caste system, but it does restrict marriage.
In India, one of the most important factors for a couple who know each other on a blind date to be recognized by each other's family is the nobility of caste.
Although Indians now claim to be open, they still don't want their children to marry people from lower castes.
The above is a reference to the September 14, 2020 article on "The Indian Marriage Story: Women Want to Be Progressive, Men Want to Be Rooted in Tradition".
It can also be seen from here that although the status of men and women in Indian society has gradually improved, it is limited to the big cities, and most of the remote areas are still very old-fashioned.
epilogue
It is hard to imagine that there are still women in India who are no different from "livestock", and the "water wife" in India is just a free labor, a "faucet".
Obviously, there are many reasons for the existence of the "water wife", which also makes people sigh, fortunately, the mainland has long been out of the feudal bad habits of the old era.
What do you think of India's "water wives"?