Sati Altruistic Suicide Analysis

Suttee, sati or self-immolation of widows, was one of the most prominent forms of altruistic suicide ancient in India; it required the widow to follow her husband on death by either ascending his funeral pyre and burning along with his corpse, or burning herself after the cremation of her husband (Vijayakumar, 2004). The term sati carries with it several associations and controversies. A woman who immolates herself can be regarded as a victim or a victor, depending on the approach. Still, I believe that sati is a form of cultural cruelty that undervalues the role of widows in the Indian society and does not always result from self-sacrifice due to devotion/ faithfulness of women to their husbands, but from social pressure of a rigidly patriarchal …show more content…
What’s the main justification for widows having to follow their husbands on death? Vijayakumar points out in her article that sati was believed guarantee the woman, her husband, and seven generations of the family after her direct access to heaven to heaven, releasing herself and family members from the cycle of birth and rebirth (2004, p. 76). However, the foundation of this belief remains unknown, and such principles put on pressure on widows to commit self-sacrificing, especially in regions where patriarchy triumphs. As clearly maintained by Vijayakumar, “In the erstwhile Kerala State where matriarchy prevailed, there was not a single instance of sati” (2004, p. …show more content…
As a matter of fact, in the traditional Indian society, widows were excluded from sacred and auspicious events; they were not allowed to adorn themselves or wear anything other than plain white clothes; and they were required to shave their hair, in other words, their lives became miserable as they were forced to live according to such harsh principles. Consequently, they preferred death over