Maharashtra: Over 7,000 Villages Welcome Widows Back Into Community Life, Abolish Discrimination Rituals

Rural Maharashtra is seeing a subtle but significant societal change as more than 7,000 villages formally announced the end of discriminatory practices that have historically been imposed on widows. Out of the 27,000 gram panchayats in the state, 7,683 villages have reportedly passed resolutions in gram panchayat sabhas to get rid of customs that deprive widows of their dignity and perpetuate social marginalisation, according to PTI reports. When Herwad, a village in the Kolhapur region, became the first place in the nation to formally forbid such practices, the movement gained momentum in 2022. PTI reports that on May 4, 2022, the village passed a resolution outlawing customs including breaking bangles once a woman's spouse passes away, washing sindoor (vermilion), removing the mangalsutra, and toe rings.

Following Herwad's lead, several villages have since included widows in previously excluded public events, including Ganesh Chaturthi, haldi-kumkum rites, and Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremonies. The goal of these resolutions, according to social activist Pramod Zinjade, who has been leading this effort, is to protect widows' rights to a dignified life, he told PTI. Surgonda Patil, a former sarpanch of Herwad, stated that although enforcement is still in place, the prevalence of these practices has considerably decreased. In the past, we would go to the homes where people died to see if these traditions were observed. However, people are more conscious now, he stated.

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Early attempts have been made in other areas, such as Kadoli in the Nagpur district. During her tenure from 2017 to 2022, former Sarpanch Pranjal Wagh revealed that she started incorporating widows into haldi-kumkum events. She said, "I invited them and gave them gifts despite objections." She acknowledged that the Kadoli resolution is not always properly followed.

Anil Shirsat, the sarpanch of Musalgaon in the Nashik district, told PTI that the hamlet shuns such archaic traditions and even uses a portion of the panchayat's money to support widows. Every year, we support five widows with 15% of the funds. To further empower them, we intend to pass a formal resolution in the upcoming gram panchayat sabha, he stated, adding that widows would be incorporated into self-help organisations for financial inclusion.