The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 2/Reports in American Newspapers/Child Widows of India
CHILD WIDOWS OF INDIA
(Daily Eagle, February 27, 1895)
Swami Vivekananda, the Hindu monk, lectured in Historical hall Monday night
under the auspices of the Brooklyn Ethical association, on "India's Gift to
the World". There were about two hundred and fifty people in the hall when
the Swami stepped on the platform. Much interest was manifested on account
of the denial by Mrs. James McKeen, president of the Brooklyn Ramabai
circle, which is interested in Christian work in India, of the statement
attributed to the lecture that the child widows of India were not protected
[ill-treated]. In no part of his lecture was reference made to this denial,
but after he had concluded, one of the audience asked the lecturer what
explanation he had to make to the statement. Swami Vivekananda said that it
was untrue that child widows were abused or ill treated in any way. He
added:
"It is a fact that some Hindus marry very young. Others marry when they have
attained a fair age and some do not marry at all. My grandfather was married
when quite a child. My father when he was 14 years old and I am 30 years old
and am not yet married. When a husband dies all his possessions go to his
widow. If a widow is poor she is the same as poor widows in any other
country. Old men sometimes marry children, but if the husband was wealthy it
was all the better for the widow the sooner he died. I have traveled all
over India, but failed to see a case of the ill treatment mentioned. At one
time there were religious fanatics, widows, who threw themselves into a fire
and were consumed by the flames at the death of their husbands. The Hindus
did not believe in this, but did not prevent it, and it was not until the
British obtained control of India that it was finally prohibited. These
women were considered saints and in many instances monuments were erected to
their memory."