Invitation - Release of books on Widows

Invitation

Release of the books

Widows in India: Study of Varanasi and Vrindavan and

Supreme Court of India and Widows of Vrindavan

Widows of Vrindavan Dr. Pathak's Prophetic Gesture The Hindu newspaper published a report on 20.08.2011 by Ms. Aarti Dhar (“Prayers in Penury”) on the deplorable and pathetic condition of the widows living in Vrindavan.

Hon’ble Supreme Court of India took cognizance of the story and Justice Altamas Kabir, Judge, Supreme Court and Executive Chairman, National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) asked NALSA to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court. The parties were the Government of India and Government of Uttar Pradesh.

While hearing the petition, Hon’ble Judges of the Supreme Court asked National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to enquire from Sulabh whether the organization could provide food to the widows of Vrindavan living in six government run shelters. The Founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak took up this cause from the core of his heart and went to Vrindavan to meet the widows. He met them on 12th August 2012. All widows were crying bitterly and uncontrollably and said that they wanted to die. Dr. Pathak also wept many times with widows while hearing about their miserable condition and he consoled them and promised that henceforth Sulabh would take care of all their needs including food etc. of all the ladies in the shelters.

Ever since, Sulabh has ensured that the widows lead a life of dignity in the ashrams.

Several steps have been taken to make the life of the widows comfortable: ∞

A stipend of Rs. 2000/- is being given to each widow per month.

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RO, TV, Refrigerators have been provided in each ashram.

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Medical facilities are being provided to them.

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Sulabh also provided 5 ambulances for the widows to go to hospitals for treatment, the cost of diesel and the drivers is also borne by Sulabh.

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Eyes and teeth of all the ladies were checked up and they were provided spectacles those who needs

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Most important thing is that after death of widows, now the dead bodies are cremated with proper Hindu rights and rituals with sandalwood and ghee amidst chanting of vedic mantras recited by pandits.

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Arrangements have been made to teaching them Hindi, English and Bengali. Widows who are mentally and physically fit are trained in vocational skills like stitching clothes, embroidery, making of masalas, badi (lentil-nuggets) and papadams as well as trained to be beauticians.

After painstaking efforts of about five years, Dr. Pathak has wiped out the tears from the eyes of widows, made them smile and now widows instead of wishing to die say that they wish to live. Lives of widows have been transformed. They have broken their barriers of age-old practice of Hindu tradition. Now they celebrate Deepawali, play colour festival Holi and live like other human beings. They enjoy a full and meaningful life. This is the story of widows of Vrindavan and Varanasi as well as Uttarakhand where they lost their husbands during floods in Kedarnath. The journey of widows from a life of desolation to a life of dignity has been depicted in the book, Widows of Vrindavan.

Release of the books

Widows in India: Study of Varanasi and Vrindavan and

Supreme Court of India and Widows of Vrindavan (Judicial Intervention and Efforts by Sulabh International, Transformed the Lives of Widows of Vrindavan, Varanasi and Uttarakhand) Organised by

Sulabh International Social Service Organisation October 15, 2016 Time : 11:30 a.m.

Venue

Mavalankar Auditorium Rafi Marg, New Delhi-110 001 To be inaugurated by the Chief Guest

Hon’ble Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi Union Minister of Women and Child Development To be presided over by

Hon’ble Shri B.P. Singh former Governor of Sikkim Guest of Honour

Dr. Charu WaliKhanna former Member, National Commission for women Advocate, Supreme Court of India

RSVP :

Kindly honour us with

Suresh Prasad : 09810399293

your presence at lunch

Aarti Arora : 09899855344

after the function.

~ Widows of Vrindavan ~

~ Widows of Varanasi ~

~ Widows of Uttarakhand ~

SULABH INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANISATION In General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council Sulabh Bhawan, Palam Dabri Road, New Delhi - 110 045 Tel. Nos. : 91-11-25031518, 25031519; Fax Nos : 91-11-25034014, 91-11-25055952 E-mail: info@sulabhinternational.org, sulabhinfo@gmail.com Website: www.sulabhinternational.org, www.sulabhtoiletmuseum.org