This Bhil adivasi lady lost her husband while quite young and contrary to custom did not leave to marry someone else. Instead she has continued as a widow and taken care of her children. To do so, however, she has had to learn all kinds of farm work that are normally the preserve of men like tilling the soil with bullocks and driving the bullock cart.
Another brave adivasi lady who has stayed back with her children is Sagarbai. She lost her husband when he was killed by forest officials because he was an active member of the Adivasi Morcha Sangathan in Dewas district. Sagarbai has also fought a long legal battle with the state to get compensation for the killing of her husband as is spelt out in the law. The district administration first refused to give the compensation under a very frivolous pretext and so she went to the High Court in Indore with the help of the Sangathan. She won the case but the government went in appeal to the divison bench. Now finally after nine years she has once again won the case in the division bench. It remains to be seen if the government will go in appeal to the Supreme Court or not. Apart from the time it has taken an expenditure of Rupees fifty thousand to get a relief of just Rupees Two Lakhs. No wonder the adivasis and especially the women remain deeply in shackles.
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