Read the following extract mentioned in NCERT textbook (page 111) answer the questions that follow:
1.
“We first tie them down to the pile”
Rammohun Roy published many pamphlets to spread his ideas. Some of these were written as a dialogue between the advocate and critic of a traditional practice. Here is one such dialogue on sati:
ADVOCATE OF SATI:
Women are by nature of inferior understanding, without resolution, unworthy of trust ... Many of them, on the death of their husbands, become desirous of accompanying them; but to remove every chance of their trying to escape from the blazing fire, in burning them we first tie them down to the pile.
OPPONENT OF SATI:
When did you ever afford them a fair opportunity of exhibiting their natural capacity? How then can you accuse them of want of understanding? If, after instruction in knowledge and wisdom, a person cannot comprehend or retain what has been taught him, we may consider him as deficient; but if you do not educate women how can you see them as inferior.
Questions:
(i)What notions were held by the advocate of sati?
(ii)What views were expressed by the opponent of sati?
(i)The advocate of sati, considered women to be of inferior understanding without resolution and unworthy of trust.
(ii)The opponent accused the society of not afford ing them a fair opportunity of exhibiting their natural capacity. It was wrong to consider women to be inferior without educating them.
