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While the plight of Vrindavan widows is well-known, the recent report on them being denied dignity even in death, is shocking.
Till the other day I imagined that I had read all about the plight of widows in Kashi or Vrindavan, and that I could empathize with their plight. I knew of the sexual exploitation of widows by the pandas, the police and the pimps; I knew that they were paid a pittance for singing bhajans for hours on end; I knew of their shaved heads and the taboos relating to food and clothes; and I knew they died lonely deaths.
I believed that death would be a blessing for these unfortunate women till I learnt that the bodies of widows who die in the government-run shelters in Vrindavan are taken away by sweepers at night, cut into pieces, put into jute bags and disposed of (by throwing the bags into the Yamuna), as the institutions do not have any provision for decent funerals.
One such institution, started by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2006 and run by a non-governmental organization called the Akhil Bharatiya Maa Sharada Samaj Kalyan Samiti, says on record that it is not their responsibility to arrange funerals of these hapless women.
No, I am not hallucinating. I am quoting media reports which rely on a study (Plight of Forsaken/Forlorn Women- Old and Widows Living in Vrindavan and Radius) by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Mathura. The DLSA in its report quotes Mithilesh Solanki, a widow living in Swadhar Mahila Ashray Kendra, Chaitanya Vihar (Vrindavan), to reveal this horrifying state of affairs. The report says, and I quote, “the bodies of widows who die in government-run shelter homes in Vrindavan are taken away by sweepers at night, cut into pieces, put into jute bags and disposed of as the institutions do not have any provision for a decent funeral. This, too, is done only after the inmates give money to the sweeper!”
I thank Sapna Tripathi, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mathura and Vijay Bahadur Yadav, Chairman (DLSA) and District Judge, Mathura for bringing this horrific state of affairs to light, and I wonder if people like you and I can do something about this.
I am a former bureaucrat, and have worked a lot on gender issues, disaster management and good governance. I am also the proud father of two lovely daughters. read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
It is shameful that in today's world too, women are abused and even killed for giving birth to a girl, and the infant's life is also of no value.
Trigger Warning: This deals with domestic violence, suicide, and violence against women, and may be triggering to survivors.
I am so glad that the esteemed courts are now giving the much-required verdicts regarding certain ideologies that were not at all entertained earlier. I mean we all have studied this much biology at our school level and it is our duty (our generation) to educate our elders about it.
Why someone have to lose a life to bring such awareness to the society. Delhi High Court gave this judgement concerning a case that filed by the deceased daughter’s parents against her in-laws. She committed suicide as she was harassed and tortured for dowry and giving birth to two daughters.
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