WIDOWS' TRAVAILS Patrilocal residence, Patrilineal inheritance
Mourning rites, Property rights Intimidation, silence Exploitation, violence Segregation, malnourishment, Discrimination, ill-treatment Ignorance, economic plight, Sati, disembellishment right Head shorn, draped in a white saree, Age old image of widowed bhartiya naari Indian family as a social institution is well known for the emotional and physical support that it provides for its extended members, But it often stigmatizes widows as women who failed to safeguard their husband’s life & hence consigns them to the pyre ambers Under ancient law, her husband is God & when he dies, she is expected to manifest inconsolable grief for the rest of her life, So many widows even today struggle to get socio-economic or emotional support in their hour of distress and strife If a widow has adult sons, she may get inheritance rights, it but if she is childless or has only daughters, she faces problems, Although Hindu succession Act, 1969 made women eligible to inherit equally with men, yet many widows are deprived & treated as bad omens When the husband dies, many widows have no freedom to “return” to the parental home, They remain in the husband's house despite conflicts & torture over land & property dome While the rest of India still quivers under the burden of regressive attitudes against widows due to illness & old age, The high rates of accident & alcohol related deaths account for high number of widows in many a Goan village Many widowed mothers unable to attend their own children’s weddings due to social 'refuse', Their dare to wear colourful clothes & jewellery, makes them victims of gossip, pressure & abuse The psychological effects of the husband's death are worsened by society trying to deny them everything, Community's self-appointed judges believe in traditions that aggravate depression beyond cycle of grieving, Be it the lifelong 'white' Hindu diktat or the Catholic norm of 3 years of widows wearing black clothing Many uneducated widows in Goa usually get a raw deal, being duped out of property by 'family' without any social outrage, Education, employment, own savings aside from their husbands’ & supportive families of both spouses can give widows courage Many widows have little knowledge of their legal rights under Uniform Civil Code exclusive to Goan women, The code entitles the widow to her husband’s share of the property & also to half the share of her children Widowhood in India still continues to be akin to a socially imposed death, Compelled to wear the garb of piety & draw solace from God for every breath Coerced to live a life devoid of any happiness, comfort and companionship, The option of remarriage is eliminated to ensure perpetuation of their hardship Many widows have to deal with discrimination ridiculous, Within their own families, many are labelled as inauspicious To exercise full ownership rights by inheritance a widow has to be literate, courageous & mobile, Many are completely unequipped to deal with bureaucracy & lawyers due to poor educational profile Lord Raj Loomba founded the Loomba Foundation after experiencing suffering of his own mother who became a widow on June 23 at 37 years of age, And has since been driven to uplift the social & economic status of widows in India and other developing countries with his positive message International Widows Day, recognized on June 23, 2010 by United Nations, Marked annually to bring attention to the rights of widows & their violations The Loomba Foundation led the campaign for the formal establishment of a day dedicated to widows, 2010 study had 245 million widows globally, of whom 115 million stared at abject poverty windows Almost a decade later, many widows still suffer much the same all over the world, Besides the loss of the loved one, they cope with injustice & abuses at them hurled They continue to bear with stigmatisation, sexual abuse & deprivation of their rightful inheritance, Many even today are accused of witchcraft & murdered or left to deal with economic duress penance Vital to see how to make this June 23 different, Time to think how not to be callous or indifferent Time to reach out to the marginalised widow, Vital to bring sunshine to her lonely window Time to strengthen her in her time of sorrow, Time to empower her for the uncertain tomorrow Time to let her choose her path precious, Vital to treat her as more than just auspicious Time to treat her as equal human, Worthy of love, dignity & compassion Time to help her reclaim her identity, Time for us all to share this responsibility SALONI & SURI June 13, 2019
