Acharya Tulsi
A new kind of culture has been spreading among Indian women for the past few years. Women of high and middle classes believe that this culture is part of a high style of life. This culture can be described as one of kitty parties. Members of the kitty party contribute the amount decided by their group, they have their gettogethers, they organise entertainment programmes, have their gossips and wind up the party with tea and snacks.
Originally a kitty party was organised for a basic purpose. A middle class woman would not be in a position to spend a thousand rupees in one go to buy domestic appliance. Members of a kitty party would collect through individual contributions of twentyfive, fiftyone hundred rupees or more and through a draw of the lucky number would make available the necessary amount to a particular member. That member would buy the appliance with that money. Through this process, the necessary amount would be made available to some other member very month. The name of the member which has already come in the draw would be stuck off. This means to acquire some necessary items is now being made an issue of prestige.
These days, the purchase of gadgets has become a matter of secondary importance and the kitty party has become a status symbol for wealthy women. Now they have come to regard such parties as a means of entertainment or a pastime and treat them only for that purpose. What would the women of welltodo families with no responsibility of cooking meals or doing any other household work, do the whole day? Family life is being so scattered and diffused that there is no hope of filling the growing vacuum in life. In such a situation attempts are being made to fill the vacuum with the means like clubs, restaurants or kitty parties. This is the gift of the modern life style and the urban women are particularly influenced by it.
The women who have been living in flats feel bored sitting alone at home after their husbands have gone office and the children have gone to school. Those women who have no lack of money to buy domestic appliances lavishly spend the amount collected at the party in eating and drinking. Some of the women from the socalled high families do not abstain even from smoking cigarettes and taking alcoholic drinks. Apart from gossip, entertainment and lavish food, what do these women gain? This is a subject which needs to be given some thought. It only such women would spend their time in awakening social, cultural and religious consciousness, they would find additional satisfaction and the society would benefit from the creative abilities of women.
Inspired by the highsociety women, today the women of even ordinary families have been taking part in this kind of competition. In their race for being known as modern, are these women not ruining themselves by neglecting their homes and children and promoting this new culture? Where would this aimless, unrestrained ways of theirs lead their daughters and daughtersinlaw? Have they ever concentrated their attention on this question? Times are moving at a very fast pace. Let women for once objectively think about these activities. Let them reform their tastes in order to maintain the high character of their families. It is essential that they give attention to the purposeful activities to properly utilise their time and energy for their families and for society.
