PLIGHT OF WHITE WIDOWS IN VRINDAVAN & MATHURA : CAN WE JOINTLY HELP THEM TO MITIGATE THEIR WOES. URGENT ACTIONS SOLICITED FROM CENTRAL GOVERNMENT.
PLIGHT OF WHITE WIDOWS IN VRINDAVAN & MATHURA : By Jasbir Singh Turnaround Strategy & Sales Expert at UCC
Approx 40,000 widows are living in miserable conditions in Vrindavan town (also known as the City of Widows) and Mathura. Vrindavan town is about 10 km away from Mathura, the city of Lord Krishna's birthplace. The town hosts hundreds of temples dedicated to the worship of Radha and Krishna and is considered sacred by a number of religious traditions.
A large number of widows move into Varindavan and surrounding area after losing their husbands. The condition of Hindu widows has turned worse with time. Even today most of the widows in the country are abounded from their houses by family members in case of joint family and by son/daughter in case of single family.
Today we have so many such cases on social media and newspapers or in our surrounding/locality. These widows have no place to go. They are unable to maintain themselves and thus are forced to take refuge under the Vidhwa ashrams. The widows seek shelter in the ashrams for various reasons most of them being abounded, harassed or sexually abused by their family members believe that holy places like these would help them to attain salvation and would bring them nearer to god.
Unfortunately these ashrams do not have much to offer. It is also learnt that majority of the widows are seen begging on the streets or soliciting for earning their livelihood. Ashrams encourage practices of prostitution and sexual abuse to gauge funds and finance in the cases of young widows. The widows are forced to live in an unhygienic and unhealthy environment. The Bhajan ashrams offer these widows to earn Rs 3 to 4 a day and some meagre ration, if they assemble in the bhajan ashrams to sing bhajans (devotional songs) in mornings and evenings.
Most of the widows who reach these Bhajan ashrams belong to West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and neighboring Bangladesh. The government of U.P. and above states. have failed to take any collaborative steps to take corrective measures or to improve the situation of these widows.
The widow pension granted by U.P. government is a meager amount. Although on records it seems that this meager amount is serving its purpose, in reality it is not. The welfare legislations like Hindu Succession (Amendment 2005) Act and Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 have definitely ensured that widows are not deprived of their husband’s property. But unfortunately these widows are found unaffected by the legal developments around the country. . The number of government shelter homes must be increased in affected states itself all basic needs. A public pressure can indeed bring considerable changes in these places.
It is very important that the widows are made aware of their legal and constitutional rights. In constitution itself amendment can be made to make a wife equal partner in husband’s property immediately after their marriage. This system should work automatically through lekhpal and village pardhan/sarpanch in case of villages or municipality corporation in case of cities or towns. In this regard we can give a memorandum to our local MP and MLA. I request women organizations to come forward and take up the issue with MPs, MLAs and government. In this way it will be a big social reform. The widow pensions must be increased and should duly reach the beneficiaries through bank account. Also some part of the tourism revenue earned from Mathura and Vrindavan must be utilized for the upliftment of these widows.
Question arises, why these white widows are selling their bodies killing their souls? Like other women, they are also daughter/mother/wife/sister/sister-in-law. Why such treatment for them? It is against nature law. Can we fight for their right? Hope your participation.
In my knowledge this topic was raised by Meghna in May 2010. I am raising it again as it was in news last month Sep 2014.
Jasbir Singh 03 Oct 2014. more
Approx 40,000 widows are living in miserable conditions in Vrindavan town (also known as the City of Widows) and Mathura. Vrindavan town is about 10 km away from Mathura, the city of Lord Krishna's birthplace. The town hosts hundreds of temples dedicated to the worship of Radha and Krishna and is considered sacred by a number of religious traditions.
A large number of widows move into Varindavan and surrounding area after losing their husbands. The condition of Hindu widows has turned worse with time. Even today most of the widows in the country are abounded from their houses by family members in case of joint family and by son/daughter in case of single family.
Today we have so many such cases on social media and newspapers or in our surrounding/locality. These widows have no place to go. They are unable to maintain themselves and thus are forced to take refuge under the Vidhwa ashrams. The widows seek shelter in the ashrams for various reasons most of them being abounded, harassed or sexually abused by their family members believe that holy places like these would help them to attain salvation and would bring them nearer to god.
Unfortunately these ashrams do not have much to offer. It is also learnt that majority of the widows are seen begging on the streets or soliciting for earning their livelihood. Ashrams encourage practices of prostitution and sexual abuse to gauge funds and finance in the cases of young widows. The widows are forced to live in an unhygienic and unhealthy environment. The Bhajan ashrams offer these widows to earn Rs 3 to 4 a day and some meagre ration, if they assemble in the bhajan ashrams to sing bhajans (devotional songs) in mornings and evenings.
Most of the widows who reach these Bhajan ashrams belong to West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and neighboring Bangladesh. The government of U.P. and above states. have failed to take any collaborative steps to take corrective measures or to improve the situation of these widows.
The widow pension granted by U.P. government is a meager amount. Although on records it seems that this meager amount is serving its purpose, in reality it is not. The welfare legislations like Hindu Succession (Amendment 2005) Act and Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 have definitely ensured that widows are not deprived of their husband’s property. But unfortunately these widows are found unaffected by the legal developments around the country. . The number of government shelter homes must be increased in affected states itself all basic needs. A public pressure can indeed bring considerable changes in these places.
It is very important that the widows are made aware of their legal and constitutional rights. In constitution itself amendment can be made to make a wife equal partner in husband’s property immediately after their marriage. This system should work automatically through lekhpal and village pardhan/sarpanch in case of villages or municipality corporation in case of cities or towns. In this regard we can give a memorandum to our local MP and MLA. I request women organizations to come forward and take up the issue with MPs, MLAs and government. In this way it will be a big social reform. The widow pensions must be increased and should duly reach the beneficiaries through bank account. Also some part of the tourism revenue earned from Mathura and Vrindavan must be utilized for the upliftment of these widows.
Question arises, why these white widows are selling their bodies killing their souls? Like other women, they are also daughter/mother/wife/sister/sister-in-law. Why such treatment for them? It is against nature law. Can we fight for their right? Hope your participation.
In my knowledge this topic was raised by Meghna in May 2010. I am raising it again as it was in news last month Sep 2014.
Jasbir Singh 03 Oct 2014. more
Viewed by 26
ARE THERE ANY LOCAL CITIZENS IN BRINDAWAN WHO CAN AT LEAST HELP A FEW OF THEM, to start with ???? more
Oct 11
Can we start their bank accounts and they get loan under jan - dhan yojna. Then we can help them start a business to help for their sustenance. May be some good citizens who are retired can help them be financially independent - especially the young widows. We can ask for help also from NGO charity organization. Are there any local citizens there to help them. more
Oct 09
Request the Central Government, HemaMalini-The MP for Brindawan , State BJP president of UP Should Intervene and mitigate the pathetic state of these widows. RSS in UP and the district is also requested to take active part . more
Oct 08
The first step is identification of problem. The second step is solving the problem. The concerned citizens should make an effort to solve the problem. If we do not do anything to solve the problem, then it is as bad as not identifying the problem more
Oct 08
