During 3 years I worked about the plight of ostracised Indian widows. This is the incredible story of social reformer Bindeshwar Pathak bringing happiness into the lives of Indian widows, a story from despair to hope. A book, Angels of Ghost Street, has been published by Edition Lammerhuber.
Par : Auteur
For ten thousand years, they deprived me of any right, of any light.
After the death of my husband, my life was upside down.
They said that from now on, I carry with me bad omen.
Even my shadow should not touch them.
No more jewellery, no more make-up. No more joy in food. No more colors in my adornment.
They say that I am a ghost on borrowed time.
The men, them, they can do everything. They can allow themselves to be carried away by all the niceties of life. And they would want that I, I carry the burden of my pain till I breath last.
To remarry, get dressed how they like, to dance, to laugh, to party, eat to their fill and go on a binge, and even to do make up if they desire: widowers, they have all the rights!
As rights, there is only one we can share with them: the right to be sad, the right to despair after having lost our beloved one. The right to cry.
The men, I do not blame them. All this madness, this injustice, this arrogance come from dark ages. They even forgot the reasons of our oppression.
Tonight and day after day, with Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, our new Mahatma, we reconquered our right to color, the right to laugh and to party, the right to be wondering stars, dancing in the darkness.
I shall carry the lamp of the knowledge, clearness and love.
You can make against me all that you want but never forget it:
I am the night, I am the day, I carried life in my womb and life will always fill me up.
I am not a widow, neither a ghost, nor a sin:
I am all the Mothers of the World,
I am just… your Mom.
© Copyright Xavier Zimbardo