GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 15th Feb. A social media debate unfolded on Friday between author Amish Tripathi and comedian Kunal Kamra after Kamra criticized Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal for endorsing Tripathi’s podcast on the history of Sati Pratha.
The exchange began when Aggarwal praised Tripathi’s podcast, calling it “amazing,” and referenced the rarity of documented Sati cases compared to witch burnings in medieval Europe. Kamra countered, citing Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s efforts to abolish the practice in 1829 and mentioning the last documented case in 1987.
Responding to Kamra, Tripathi urged him to read the 1829 Sati Abolishment Act, which stated that Sati was “almost non-existent” and not an imperative religious duty. He also advised Kamra to maintain civility in debates, saying, “Manners add value.”
Kamra fired back, arguing that Hinduism is shaped by practices, not just texts, and that Sati had a long history of social resistance. He emphasized the distinction between history and mythology and accused Tripathi of conflating the two.
In his podcast, Tripathi, joined by historian Meenakshi Jain, explored the “colonial misrepresentation” of Sati, describing it as a misunderstood historical practice rather than a widespread religious obligation.
Comments are closed.