Taken from ‘Bungklang Bungkling’, ‘Luh’, a column by I Wayan Juniartha, published in Bali Post, Sunday 31st October 2010. Translated by Putu Semiada
Luh (Woman)
It is a happy day for Ni Luh Makin Digosok Makin Sip (the More You Rub Her the More She Loves It) that she gives everyone a glass of palm toddy for free.
“You are so generous today. What is going on? Is your application to be a civil servant has been approved?” says I Made Ulah Aluh (I Made Take it Easy) while smiling cheerfully.
Everyone knows that Ni Luh is obsessed to be a civil servant. But she is not that lucky. She finds out that to be able to a civil servant is much harder than ‘to reach the heaven (suargan)’. To ‘get there’ (heaven) you only need 50 million Rupiahs that you can use for the ceremonies (starting from cremation (ngaben), purification (mukur), and beautification (ngelinggihan Dewa Hyang). On the other hand, if you want to be a civil servant, you have to have 75 million Rupiahs and in addition, you also have to have a good connection.
“I’m not interested anymore to be a civil servant. I’m happy today because it is the first time our customary bodies (Majelis Utama Desa Pekraman) discussed about the Balinese women’s rights,” says Ni Luh while showing the newspaper.
The newspaper mentions about the results of village customary bodies, especially about ‘isolated’ (kasepekang) penalties that the village has no right to forbid the ‘isolated’ party to pray and ‘use’ cemetery. ‘Isolated’ penalties also should must have limit, not for the whole life.
“That’s good news. You know, our own gods (bethara) never forbid us to pray in the temple, why do the Balinese do? They don’t even let their ‘isolated’ fellows to use ‘cemetery’. I feel ashamed and embarrassed seeing a dead body is forbidden to be buried in the cemetery and has to be left by the street for hours while the community members (banjar) negotiating,” says I Made.
The customary bodies also support for the inheritance right for the Balinese women.
“It will be a big change. If the women can have their inheritance rights, they will sell all the family’s land (inheritance) to buy talcum powder, lipstick, French brocade kebaya, and high heel shoes.”
Ni Luh feels insulted. She cancels her treat of a glass of palm toddy for I Made.
“You know, Made. The heritance is always given to the sons. Look what good things that Balinese men have done to look after the traditions,” says Ni Luh.
When a Balinese man obtains inheritance, they will sell them all, from the land to gold. If the house temple can be sold, they may do.
“What we Balinese women get are the tough things; from making offerings, taking care parents, taking care children, and looking after their husbands. Sometimes our money is also taken by our husbands and at nights, they beg us for sex. We are really really exhausted at the end. There are more obligations for us to carry out than what we should get.”
“Too many obligations than what they should get often make Balinese women get stressed and get fatigue that their faces and skin look dirty as well. Knowing that, their husbands do not do anything to support them, e.g. providing them with vitamins; instead they go to cafés to have fun with bar girls who look more beautiful due to their ‘thick’ make up,” Ni Luh keeps talking.
“When our parents are sick, who do you think will take care of them? When you have a ceremony in your clan temple, who do you think will be busy, the men or the women?”
I Made keeps silence. He looks nervous. He realizes that Balinese men are useless. Hence, daughters should get more inheritance than sons from their parents, he thinks.
“The problem is that culturally, we Balinese are patrimonial (purusa), says I Made.
Ni Luh is getting more upset that she throws a cake toward I Made.
What if no ‘pradana’ (women) in the world? What can the ‘purusa’ (men) do? Or if Goddess Saraswati doesn’t exist, neither does God Brahma; if Goddess Sri or Lakshmi doesn’t exist, neither does God Wisnu; if Goddess Durga doesn’t exist, God Siwa is nothing.
So when Balinese women are angry, nobody can stop them.
