BHAKTI says: September 27, 2020
Please don’t let them force you Rita, once it starts there is no-stopping!
My own grandmother was a very proud Hindu, and when she started looking for alliances for her daughters (that is, my mom and mom’s sister [my Mausi or aunti]), she was obviously looking for a Hindu son-in-law.
The family found a perfect match for my Mausi in a boy where boy’s family on the surface belonged to same Hindu traditions as that of my grandparent. There was only one thing, that at the time of wedding, no one even paid much attention to, which was that boy (my uncle or Mausa) had a step mother, who was a Christian (my Mausi’s would be mother-in-law). My uncle’s real mother had passed away when he was a toddler. Mausi’s wedding was a 100% Hindu wedding as boy, his dad and entire family was Hindu.
While I was growing up, I don’t remember seeing that Mausi much, no one talked about her much. I sometimes overheard some conversations about difficulties she was having in her personal life.
After Mausi’s Hindu father-in-law passed away and the mother-in-law (the Christian lady) started exerting her wishes e.g. not caring about Hindu festivals and cooking meat despite my Mausi’s fasting. Other members of the family probably didn’t care much as they were not attached to Hindu believes much like my Mausi who was raised in a much more ritualistic family. However, other than stuff I overheard as a child, everything else seemed normal. When at times, my Mausi and cousins visited us they fully participated in Hindu customs.
When the Christian mother-in-law became inheritor of the family property, she exerted more and more power in the household. Over the years, all the sons converted under pressure. My Mausi was able to resist for many years, but without financial means to sustain herself and without good health finally she gave into mother-in-law’s and recently converted as per husband’s wishes. Mausi’s kids also were converted and married to Christians spouses.
A Christian mother-in-law changed faith of an entire clan here!
My heart aches to see what my Mausi (aunt) went through in her entire life, but in the end my family says it’s okay what can we do and anyways ‘All paths lead to same God’!
BHAKTI says: September 27, 2020
I don’t know why I heard less about her(mausi) than other family members. I believe she lived a rather difficult life because of conflicts at her home and was possibly retreating herself from other connections , I.e her own mom and her sisters in order to not reveal a lot of her problems and cause sadness to her parents. Mausi’s MIl didn’t only convert my mausa and his family but also other mausa’s other brothers and their families. I believe what happened was that as mausa ji and his brothers grew up, and got spouses and kids, a few members of the family oriented with Christian beliefs of my mausi’s MIL. Then, overtime they started adding other members to the Christian part of the clan. Finally, those who didn’t land in the Christian camp were threatened about disownment from the family’s business etc, and conversion of these reluctant members was the final nail in the coffin!
When I think about my mausi who came from a very Hindu family, lived all her life as a Hindu , forcefully converted along with her son just a few years ago, I feel so sad!
She is probably still Hindu at heart but NOW has to deal with a Christian daughter in law too in her old age, after dealing with a Christian MIL all her life!
More information: Hindu Pre-Nuptial agreement, Interfaith marriage with equality, Hindu-Christian Marriage, Bible on Hindus? Christian-Hindu relationships, Marriage & Divorce laws.
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Yes, this is correct. I don’t know why I heard less about her(mausi) than other family members. I believe she lived a rather difficult life because of conflicts at her home and was possibly retreating herself from other connections , I.e her own mom and her sisters in order to not reveal a lot of her problems and cause sadness to her parents.
Mausi’s MIl didn’t only convert my mausa and his family but also other mausa’s other brothers and their families.
I believe what happened was that as mausa ji and his brothers grew up ,and got spouses and kids, a few members of the family oriented with Christian beliefs of my mausi’s MIL. Then, overtime they started adding other members to the Christian part of the clan. Finally, those who didn’t land in the Christian camp were threatened about disownment from the family’s business etc, and conversion of these reluctant members was the final nail in the coffin!
When I think about my mausi who came from a very Hindu family, lived all her life as a Hindu , forcefully converted along with her son just a few years ago, I feel so sad!
She is probably still Hindu at heart but NOW has to deal with a Christian daughter in law too in her old age ,after dealing with a Christian MIl all her life!
Hi Bhakti, Is this correct… While I was growing up, I don’t remember seeing that *Mausi* much, no one talked about her much. I sometimes overheard some conversations about difficulties she was having in her personal life. Please read through again to make sure relationships are presented correct here with our edits.