MARGAO: Welcoming the decision of the Corgao, Dhargal and Shiroda panchayats to stop the widow practice in the villages and congratulating these panchayats, Konkani Bhasha Mandal (KBM) on Saturday urged the Government of Goa to pay attention in this regard and implement strict law if necessary and issue similar directives to all the panchayats.
The ‘Chitrangi’ section of Konkani Bhasha Mandal, dedicated to women and youth, has welcomed the revolutionary decision and congratulated the panchas, sarpanches and the persons who moved the resolution.
The issue had gained momentum after the Herwad gram panchayat in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district decided to stop the practice of widowhood. The Maharashtra government had subsequently issued a circular to all panchayats to take a similar decision.
“It is very encouraging that some panchayats in Goa have taken a similar decision in the gram sabha held on Thursday,” said Anwesha Singbal, President, KBM.
“In some parts of Goa, women still have to perform widowhood rites after the death of their husbands. Rituals such as forcibly removing their Mangalsutra, breaking their earrings, filling their vows and then wiping their Kukum are still performed in the villages. These rituals are very humiliating for a woman. Forcing a woman, already grieved by the death of her husband, to perform such rituals would hurt her self-esteem. These are forms of underestimating women and that is why they must stop,” she said.
She said that the death of the husband does not diminish or end the existence of the wife in the slightest. Basically, a woman exists as a human being, and has an identity.
