South Kolhapur to ban all ‘widow’ customs

The district would become the first such in the country to have resolved to eradicate all the regressive customs and rituals done when a woman's husband dies

Kolhapur South will become the first constituency in the country to have all its village panchayats to have resolved to eradicate the regressive customs and rituals related to widows.

All 34 gram panchayats in the constituency are represented by Congress MLA Ruturaj Patil.

In a reformist liberal move, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government had last week asked the zilla parishads and gram panchayats to shun all regressive practices related to widows; accordingly, the Rural Development Department issued a notification.

The movement had originated in Kolhapur districts where two villages—Herwad (Shirol tehsil) and Mangaon (Hatkanangale tehsil)—passed similar resolutions, which the government asked others to emulate.

Through the move, customs to be banned would include removing a woman’s “mangalsutra” and toe rings, wiping away “sindoor” from her forehead, and breaking her bangles, after her husband passes. Widows are then further ostracized and stigmatized by preventing them from attending any function—be it familial, social or religious—celebrating festivals openly, interacting with other males, along with many other restrictions.

Patil—who met with Sarpanchs, Deputy Sarpanchs and Gram Sevaks of all 34 village panchayats for the last two weeks—coordinated with the gram panchayats and its office bearers to convince all involved to take the matter on priority.

Everyone resolved to convene a special monthly meeting to pass the resolution. “The resolution will be passed in the Gram Sabha of the village panchayat on June 6, the ShivRajyabhishek day,” Patil said.