"A Dangerous Plot": Congress Leader On Proposal For New Term For Widows

Former Maharashtra minister and Congress leader Yashomati Thakur on Friday said the state government's proposal to refer to widows as 'Ganga Bhagirathi' was a "dangerous plot" and conspiracy, and alleged that "Manuwadi" forces were constantly trying to restrain women and other sections of the society.

Even today, widows face difficulties at many levels and giving new labels to these women will not change their condition, she said, adding that the government should instead strive to streamline the implementation of schemes for their benefit.

Earlier this week, Women and Child Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha sent a letter to the administration in which he proposed the use of the term 'Ganga Bhagirathi' to refer to widows in a bid to offer them respect.

''I am Yashomati. Why should I mention Ganga Bhagirathi before my name? I am not Ganga Bhagirathi, nor will I ever mention this before my name. As we commemorate Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's birth anniversary, I want to emphasise that we must not allow such a decision in this state," Ms Thakur, a former women and child development minister, said in a statement.

"I lost my husband and raised my children single-handedly after his sudden demise. Thanks to the Constitution of this country, I have earned the right to equality and education. Today, I am recognised as a free individual. The Constitution has granted freedom to all Dalits, exploited, deprived and women from the chains of slavery. However, the Manuwadi forces are constantly trying to restrain these sections," she added.

This is a dangerous plot, and on the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, let us pledge to thwart this conspiracy, Ms Thakur said.

Maharashtra has always been at the forefront of raising the banner of progressive thought. However, in the same state, there is a debate about the proposal of calling widows as Ganga Bhagirathi. This is a tragedy. Inter-caste and inter-religious marriages were promoted in this state to bridge the caste and religious divide. Ambedkar himself advocated for it, she said.

Hitting out at minister Lodha for bringing the proposal, Ms Thakur said he talks about prohibiting inter-caste and inter-religious marriages and, on other occasions, uses the language of Ganga-Bhagirathi.

"This Manuwadi government's policies are destroying the ideology of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and various saints and ideologies of Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar. Even today, widowed women face numerous difficulties. Giving new labels to these women struggling with social constraints will not alter their situation. Instead, we must strive to streamline the implementation of schemes that benefit them," she said.

During the pandemic, the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government took the issue seriously and initiated measures to ensure that they could avail the benefits of various schemes under one umbrella.

The government should work with greater sensitivity in this regard, she said.

"Various discussions revolve around the mention of Ganga Bhagirathi. I believe that by starting such a discussion, the government is attempting to evade fundamental issues like Adani, inflation, unemployment, agriculture and health. We will not allow the government to get away with it. We are not Ganga Bhagirathi, we are the soldiers of the Constitution. We will fight for the fundamental rights of the people and uproot your regressive and Manuwadi ideology," she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)