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IN INDIA'S NORTHERN CITY OF VRINDAVAN SOME 2 THOUSAND WIDOWS, ABANDONED BY THEIR FAMILIES
AND SOCIETY, LIVE IN GOVERNMENT SHELTERS, WITHOUT BASIC AMENITIES.
BUT LAST YEAR, INDIA'S SUPREME COURT SAID THE WOMEN SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SUPPORT THEY
NEED TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY. VOA NEW DELHI CORRESPONDENT ARU PANDE REPORTED ON ONE ORGANIZATION TRYING
TO MAKE THAT RULING A REALITY. I CAUGHT UP WITH HER FOR MORE. CHECK IT OUT.
OK, SO, ARU, TELL US WHAT ARE THE ROOTS OF THIS PROBLEM. WHY ARE THESE WIDOWS OSTRACIZED?
BASICALLY, THIS GOES BACK CENTURIES AGO. LOTS OF THESE WOMEN ARE COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON
THEIR HUSBAND. THEIR HUSBAND IS THE PRIMARY EARNER AND ONCE HE DIES, THEY REALLY HAVE
NOTHING. SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE KIDS, THEY DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO SUPPORT THEM. THE ONES
THAT OFTEN DO HAVE CHILDREN, THEY MOVE WITH THEIR CHILDREN, THEIR ADULT CHILDREN OR MAYBE
THEY MOVE IN WITH THEIR IN-LAWS AND THEY ARE THERE MISTREATED OR THEY ARE BASICALLY THOUGHT
OF AS A FINANCIAL BURDEN. SO RELATIVES OFTEN KICK THEM OUT AND THEY TRY TO FIND, YOU KNOW,
A DIFFERENT PURPOSE IN LIFE. SO THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN THIS RELIGIOUS CITY, IN THIS
HOLY CITY AND THEY DECIDE TO SPEND THE REST OF THEIR LIVES IN THIS PLACE.
SULABH FOUNDER BINDESHWAR PATHAK SAYS IT'S A DRAMATIC CHANGE FOR MANY WOMEN WHO WERE
CAST OUT OF THEIR HOMES BY FAMILY MEMBERS AND OSTRACIZED BY SOCIETY, OFTEN LEFT TO BEG
NEAR TEMPLES TO SURVIVE.
"TEN MONTHS AGO, THEY WANTED TO DIE, NOW THEY WANT TO LIVE LONGER TO ENJOY LIFE, THEY ARE
VERY HAPPY. IN THAT WAY WE HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT A CHANGE IN THE MINDS OF WOMEN, BECAUSE THEY
NOW GET ALL THE FACILITIES."
MANY OF THESE WIDOWS HAD NO WAY OF SUPPORTING THEMSELVES AND TRAVELED FROM THE EASTERN STATE
OF WEST BENGAL TO LIVE THEIR REMAINING YEARS AT VRINDAVAN.
THIS PLIGHT OF THESE WOMEN, HOW DOES THAT REFLECT INDIA AS A PATERNALISTIC SOCIETY?
WELL, THAT BASICALLY WHAT IT IS. IT'S PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY, LIKE I EXPLAINED. THESE WOMEN ARE
COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON THEIR HUSBANDS. THEY DON'T HAVE AN OUTSIDE CAREER, THEY DON'T HAVE
OUTSIDE MONEY COMING IN. THE ONES THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET SOME GOVERNMENT SUPPORT OR
WELFARE ARE ILLITERATE SO THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM, THEY DON'T
KNOW HOW TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT, THEY DON'T KNOW THEY SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO CERTAIN BENEFITS...THEY
DON'T KNOW HOW TO READ AND WRITE.
TELL US ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION THAT IS HELPING THESE WIDOWS. HOW THIS PROGRAM COME ABOUT?
THE SUPREME COURT... A FEW YEARS AGO WAS CALLED ATTENTION TO THE PLIGHT THESE WIDOWS. A LOT
OF THESE WIDOWS WERE BEGGING AT TEMPLES IN VRINDAVAN, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO WAY TO SURVIVE...
AND A LOT OF TIME WHEN THEY DIE THERE IS NO MONEY, THERE'S NOBODY THERE TO PERFORM THE
LAST RITES OR YOU KNOW CREMATE THEM AND THE SUPREME COURT HEARD ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF THEM
AND THEY WERE SO SHOCKED BY SOME OF THE CONDITIONS THEY CURRENTLY LIVE IN IN THESE GOVERNMENT
RUN HOMES THAT THE SUPREME COURT ASKED THIS PARTICULAR NGO - SULABH INTERNATIONAL - AND
ANOTHER NGO, PLEASE HELP OUT IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN SUPPORT THESE WIDOWS AND BASICALLY
GIVE THEM A NEW LEASE ON LIFE AND PROVIDE THEM NOT JUST WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT, BUT,
YOU KNOW WITH TRAINING.
FROM WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WIDOWS IN INDIA, DO YOU THINK
ENOUGH IS BEING DONE?
WELL, I THINK IN THAT CITY IN PARTICULAR - VRINDAVAN - THERE IS I THINK ABOUT 15 THOUSAND WIDOWS
ESTIMATED AND I THINK NATIONWIDE IS ABOUT 40 MILLION, SO IT'S A HUGE POPULATION AND
I THINK THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS HELP, BUT AGAIN THIS NGO RIGHT NOW IS ONLY HELPING 900
PEOPLE. THEY ARE TRYING THEIR BEST, BUT IT REALLY IS, I THINK, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE SOCIETAL
CHANGE... THERE NEEDS TO BE CHANGE IN THE A WAY PEOPLE VIEW THESE WIDOWS.
AND FINALLY, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, HOW WAS IT THAT YOU FOUND THIS ORGANIZATION AND FOUND
OUT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM?
WELL, SULABH HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK, LIKE I SAID, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY WERE WORKING
IN SANITATION MAKING SURE THAT A LOT OF RURAL AREAS OF INDIA ARE CONNECTED AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY
CONTACTED ME SAYING LOOK, WE HAVE THIS NEW PROGRAM HELPING THESE WIDOWS. AND JUST TO
GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THE FOUNDER OF THIS NGO, DR. PATHAK, HE'S REALLY SUPPORTING THEM MOSTLY
WITH HIS OWN MONEY. THEY REALLY DON'T RELY ON DONATIONS.
AND AGAIN ARU PANDE IS VOA'S CORRESPONDENT IN NEW DELHI. OUT THANKS AGAIN TO ARU.