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Maharashtra: Village bans widowhood rites, encourages families with sops

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Days after the Herwad gram panchayat in Shirol taluka of state’s Kolhapur district passed a resolution banning rites associated with widowhood, Mangaon, another village of the district, which was also the venue for the landmark conference of “untouchables” presided over by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in 1920, has banned funerary practices related to widows. The district administration said it has launched a movement to stop the rigorous practices which deprive women from living their life with dignity and self-respect.

In fact, Mangaon has gone a step ahead of Hervard. While Hervard left the implementation of the ban on the villagers, Mangaon in Hatkanangle taluka is offering sops to those who free widows from the age-old customs in the form of property tax and water tax waiver for a year. “The resolution to ban practices such as removing vermillion from the foreheads of women when their husbands die, breaking their bangles, and forcing them to wear white sarees was first passed on May 1 by the gram sabha. On May 6, we completed the procedure,” Mangaon sarpanch Raju Magdum said on Friday.

Magdum said on May 10, the gram panchayat decided to waive property tax and water tax of those families which start implementing the ban. “We will waive property tax and water tax for a year for those families who take the initiative in banning the widow practices,” said Magdum. The village has a population of 14,000.

Not just the waivers, the gram panchayat is also offering cash sops to such families. “We will felicitate such families with Rs 5,000 cash and a certificate on Independence Day. Besides, the gram panchayat will honour girls from the village who are married off in another village with a ‘Paithani’ saree worth Rs 2,500.”

Hailing the social change in Kolhapur villages, Zilla Parishad CEO Sanjay Chavan said, “The decision was conveyed to us today and we have appreciated the initiative taken by the villagers of Mangaon…In fact, we are trying to create awareness in all villages of the district so that such practices are banned.”

Magdum said Mangaon has a responsibility on its shoulder to set an example. “Our village is not an ordinary village. It has found a place in history for hosting the Mangaon conference. It was hosted by none other than social reformer Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj who invited Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar to preside over the conference,” he said.

MVA Minister Satej Patil said, “Kolhapur district is setting a unique example in social change. Such initiatives should be replicated across the state. What’s noteworthy is that the initiatives come during the death centenary year of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj.”

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