Top 10 Social Taboos in India in 2023
Updated: Apr 28, 2023, 16:36 IST
Women and their Bodies
As many obscene phrases in India are derogatory towards girls and women, Indian society has always had discriminatory undertones.
Most Indian women are raised to believe that their bodies are a burden that they should not express in their own distinctive manners.
Veere Di Wedding, for example, was a female-centric movies that depicted Indian women drinking, smoking, and having sex.
Women Smoking
Cigarette smoking is bad for your health, rather than your character.
Individuals who smoke, on the contrary, are thought to be of suspicious character in India.
According to a recent report in India Today, "casual cigarette smoking is on increase among young working women throughout metropolitan cities in India."
According to reports, India now has 12.1 million female smokers, which is statistically the second highest figure in the world after the United States.
Some Indians dislike women who smoke since this is perceived as a masculine characteristic.
Drinking
Many people in the nation have an unfavourable perspective towards alcohol, believing it to be one of the most dangerous forms of debauchery.
Those who oppose alcohol see it as a Western attribute that opposes their personal set of opinions and morals.
Drinking is out of control in some Indian states, affecting the lives of numerous men and women.
The modern perspective of Indian wine shops, bars, and clubs in cities promotes alcohol as a socialising tool. Where both Indian men and women like to consume beer and spirits.
In villages, the situation is different, as illegal alcohol continues to be generated without any kind of regulation.
Divorce
Marriage is a sacred and holy ceremony that deserves to be respected, but issues can arise and a divorce turns into imperative.
In some Indian households, women are regarded as burdens who must be married as soon as possible.
Their financial accountability is transferred to their husband once they marry. When a woman divorces, she becomes reliant on her parents.
This viewpoint is unjust to both men and women.
It effectively silences women and denies them the opportunity to achieve financial independence.
Periods
Padman (2018), a Bollywood movie, highlighted the menstrual struggles that women in rural areas face.
The film portrayed how women in India regard purchasing sanitary napkins as a waste of money, but will gladly spend money on their family's needs.
Pads are considered dirty and embarrassing by numerous individuals in India.
In accordance with Indian decorum, the mere mention of periods should not enter a refined society.
Women were once expected to avoid contact with others during their period week.
This stigma persists today, and women are still expected to isolate themselves during their periods.
Sex
Despite the reality that India has the world's second largest population, open discussion of sex is forbidden.
One might argue that this makes Indians hypocrites.
In India, the concept of sex is heavily associated with morality, and many individuals still consider having sex before wedding to be a sin.
Many Indians right now are finding that the repressive view of sex in India was spread during British colonial rule as a result of their own Victorian views on sex.
As a result, during the British rule in a country where the Kama Sutra was written, sex was considered immoral.
So, despite advancement in the cities, sex before marriage remains a major taboo in India today.
LGBT
India has travelled to and from the moon.
They've got one of the world's largest film sectors but they also have a law that makes being gay, bisexual, or lesbian an unlawful conduct.
Despite India's remarkable achievements, they decline when it comes to offering adequate rights and ensuring the safety of the LGBT community.
Other segments of Indian society believe that homosexuality is a Western myth that does not apply to the East.
Sandip Roy, an honoured citizen of the LGBTQIA+ community, talked to The Telegraph about his homosexual encounters.
According to Roy, "the hottest debates in gay rights centre around adults who consent and their right to privacy."
He claims that most gay people in India do not openly admit to being gay. This is due to the fact that they frequently face a negative backlash.
Love Marriages
Arranged marriages are among the most prevalent kind of marriage in India.
Despite the fact that love marriages have increased over time, most Indians continue to consider them to be taboo.
Most Indian weddings are extravagant displays of money and are considered to be India's largest celebration.
However, when it comes to weddings, most Indians have very specific ideas about how they should take place.
Arranged marriages remain very popular, though not as generally 'arranged' as in the past, with parents and family still having a strong say in who can marry whom.
Feminism
Feminism is a movement that supports for gender equality.
Feminism is primarily concerned with women.
It should be pointed out, however, that feminism also works to help men conquer the social issues they face in society.
Feminism, for example, assists men who have been struggling with societal norms and the pressures placed on them as men.
They also assist men who have been handled unfairly during child custody disputes.
Male rape survivors and victims of domestic violence are supported by feminists.
Career Expectations
The Indian government estimates that there are 5.53 million Indian students learning in 86 different countries.
55% of those learners have attended school in the United States or Canada.
Every year, the amount of professional young Indians grows, which is a good thing in some ways.
It does, however, have an underlying social stigma to which most Indian families conform.
Most Indian parents want their children to be professionals, preferably in medicine, law, or engineering.
Although doctors are highly respected, Indian parents at times disregard their kid's career preferences in favour of what society thinks.
In an Indian society, being a hair stylist is not as valuable as being a lawyer.
Despite the fact that both jobs necessitate hard work and some form of education.