9,00,000 women may not cast vote

A recent press conference in Mumbai saw the silent but powerful force of ‘the other’ in the city as a group of nine lakh women, including devadasis, widows, and handicapped women around the state threatened to boycott the assembly elections.

With no definite source of income and no one to look after them , these women believe that the government has failed them all these years. Shakuntala Chavan became a devadasi after her husband left her 30 years ago. The 50-year-old now survives on alms and silently swallows insults hurled at her.

Represented by non-governmental organisations like the Vilasbhau Rupavate Pratishthan (VRP), Maharashtra Niradhar and Devadasi Mahila Organisation, many women like Chavan, claimed that their demands for employment, pensions, or ration cards were ignored by all political parties.

These NGOs, which represent around nine lakh women in the state, have put forth four demands. “We want the state  to provide us with Rs2,000  as monthly pension, relax rules under the Sanjay Gandhi Pension Scheme, provide yellow ration cards, and relax rules for death certificates,” said Vilas Rupavate, of the VRP.

At present, the government gives them Rs500 every quarter, he said. According to Rupavate, there are three lakh devadasis, four lakh widows, and two lakh handicapped women in Maharashtra. Of these, around 4.5 lakhs are in Mumbai and Thane.

“MNS general secretary Shirish Parkar had promised to take up our cause three months ago,” said Lata Sakat, VRP president. “We haven’t heard from him since.”