Click to play videoTonk, Rajasthan: The Mali community’s panchayat in Tonk banned women from working outside their homes and sat back convinced its diktat would be followed. It judged wrong.
The panchayat, which was angered by women marrying outside the community, asked them to stay indoors and warned that those who defied the order would be fined Rs 10,000. Even selling vegetables was banned.
“Our community has passed this decision that women will not come to the market. If they do there will be penalty of Rs 10,000,” says vegetable vendor Kanhiya Lal.
The threat worked but for just 10 days—women then started coming out of their homes to work. “I will not pay them a rupee—no penalty, nothing. We are a poor people and we have to earn money every day,” says Bina, a vegetable vendor.
Shimla, another vegetable vendor, agrees with Bina. “We have not committed a crime. We have not robbed anyone or been rowdy that they should penalise us,” says Shimla.
Most women say they've abided by all edicts from the panchayat but they won't accept this one. The women have taken on the panchayat but the administration has yet show initiative in protecting their freedom.
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