NO POLICE CASE IN THIS VILLAGE FOR 15 YEARS
Bhavika Jain| TNN |
HIGHLIGHTS
Much before movies like Dangal prompted several villages in north India to put up names of their daughters outside their doors, this tiny village in Maharashtra started transferring the house and the fields in the name of the women in the family. Why, even the names of the women along with their mobile numbers are displayed on the nameplates. They didn’t need any film to inspire them— a suggestion made by villagers in their gram sabha meeting was enough to make them approve the suggestion with a thumping majority, and it soon became a rule in Anandwadi.
“Like we bring the goddess Laxmi to our house every Diwali, we decided to honour our Laxmis (wives/daughters) by taking this decision. Women shouldn’t feel the need to be dependent on anyone, since they run the home. Why shouldn’t they also own it? This will also help to get rid of the patriarchal mindset of people,” said Nyanoba Chame, member of the gram sabha.
There are about 165 homes in the village, all of them in the women’s name, and some people have taken a step ahead and have transferred the fields in the name of women.
“410 people from the village have pledged their organs. From now on the village has taken the responsibility of looking after the health of its residents. So smoking, chewing tobacco and drinking are strictly banned here,” said Bhagyashree Chame, sarpanch of Anandwadi.
Villagers have just one request from the authorities of the state government, who have not even acknowledged their efforts: to provide for organ transplant facilities in government hospitals in Latur. “Currently, there are no facilities for organ transplant in any of the government hospitals in Latur,”said Ram Sagar, a resident.
The main occupation in this village is farming, but to comfort the parents of girls, since last year all the homes have contributed to conduct the wedding of girls from the village. “Since last year, we have been announcing a date on which mass weddings will be conducted and the entire cost is to borne by . We all contribute, and this takes away one big cause of worry that a daughter’s father has,” said Madhav Nagmode, a resident. This year, the date is April 29.
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March 17, 2017 at 12:03 pm
This village is an example of women’ s empowerment. Other villages and even small towns should try to emulate the success of this small but very happy village