Now, in the Manu-samhita it is clearly stated that a woman should not be given freedom. That does not mean that women are to be kept as slaves, but they are like children. The demons have now neglected such injunctions, and they think that women should be given as much freedom as men.
This is a prime example of obsolete smritis or man-made customs that I was talking about.
Such obsolete smritis such as manusmriti practiced without requisite updation with time, resulted in illiterate and dependent women, financially weak due to lack of earnings or inheritance, and subject to the violence and indignities of abusive husbands.
Sati is an another example of a man-made custom which has no basis in the Vedas. Raja Rammohan Roy of the Brahmo Samaj was instrumental in banning the murderous practice with British administrative support in India.
However many men, including Bal Gangadhar Tilak, protested against the ban. The practice of sati meant that widows were burnt alive on their husband's pyre.
Those who protested loudly against the ban should have been challenged to place their palms touching the fire end of a candle for a minute or two. None of these superficial men would even do so for five seconds in a row due to the pain, and would also complain vociferously of the inhumane pain caused to them during the said fire trial.
And if suppose the smriti was reversed to the case where men was supposed to be burnt alive instead, on the pyre of their dead wives, they would burn the smriti itself on the spot or run away for their dear lives.
