The news of farmer suicides has grabbed immense media attention. Can we provide solace to the ruptured lives of the widows of Indian farmers?
Joshna Wandile was widowed when her farmer husband, unable to repay the debt, committed suicide. Joshna’s woes do not end here. Her in-laws have taken the extreme step of throwing her out of the house. She is in a miserable condition.
Dealing with grief and social isolation at the same time, she has to shoulder the responsibility of bringing up her children all by herself. This was one such story among hundreds of women whose tears go unnoticed while they muster up courage to face the brutal world.
Hundreds of widows like Joshna Wandile, are facing the brunt of the severe drought that has perished their lives. Married at a younger age, these women neither have access to education nor finances. They are also subjected to constant humiliation and taunts by the community and are blamed for their husband’s death. The society denies them food and labels them as ‘inauspicious’.
In most cases, the wife’s own family refutes to accept her as she is perceived as an unnecessary burden. In extreme cases, they accept their widowed daughters but treat them as slaves. Caught in a quagmire, they often resort to prostitution and trafficking to repay their husband’s debts.
According to a report, India has the maximum number of widows in the world. Swept over by feelings of helplessness, these widows suffer in silence. A series of reforms, at different levels, needs to be implemented to help them wriggle out of their situations. Psychologists and counselors must be employed in such areas that help the widows pass through this turbulent phase of their lives.
The government must provide them with financial assistance and equip them with the skills required to sustain their livelihood. Rehabilitating them, both physically and mentally, should be on top of the government’s bucket list. Survival of widows is difficult but not impossible. Backed by emotional and financial support by family and society, these women have the ability to prosper and contribute to the society in a productive way.
Image Source – Morungexpress.com
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When Dylan came home, I was happy I had a little brother. But soon, strange incidents began happening. No one could explain the hideous things he did or why he did them!
“Nobody loves me!” he cried, as he was forced to sit in the car. Dylan was red with rage and tears covered his face.
“That is not true. We love you a lot. You will be away just for a short while and then we’ll get you back home”. Mother didn’t believe her own words. For the first time she wasn’t sad that he was leaving.
“Bahu, you are this family’s Mahalakshmi. If you wake up late, how will it bode auspicious for this house and hearth? Go, take a bath first, and help me in the kitchen."
“Bahu, you are this family’s Mahalakshmi. If you wake up late, how will it bode auspicious for this house and hearth? Go, take a bath first, and help me in the kitchen.”
“Ma, I’m visiting my in-laws for the first time after marriage. I’m looking forward to this!” Aditi exclaimed.
Widows in India, especially in the urban areas, may no longer be facing the damning fate of previous generations of widows, but there are still many subtle prejudices that exist against them.
This morning on my call with my parents living back home, they told me that they would soon be going to Puri. Now that the holy month of ‘Kartika’ is here (as per the Hindu Calendar), they must offer the customary visit, for the darshan of Lord Jagannath. Puri, in Odisha, as most of you might know, is one of the ‘Chaar Dham’ (the four holy shrines) for Hindus and every Odiya, like me, has a deep-rooted connection with the place. Now living in a faraway foreign land, the very mention of Puri brings back to me, a thousand memories. But in this part of the year, it reminds me of our widows.
Meet Devi Murthy, an engineer who works to solve the problems of small farmers in India, with the help of technology.
Yes, you read that right!