Image Courtesy:outlookindia.com
Several women’s rights organisations in Rajasthan are demanding an immediate suspension of Degod Tehsildar in Kota district for a sexist press note encouraging renouncement of women’s property rights. At a protest held on August 23, 2021, leaders demanded an apology from authorities to all women.
Enraged by the language of the August 21 note that said, “Make Raksha Bandhan Memorable; Get sisters to surrender their rights voluntarily.” Civil rights activist Kavita Srivastava said that by issuing such a note, Tehsildar Dilip Singh Prajapati violated Article 14 of the Constitution. “We would like to ask who gave the Prajapati this right to issue such a press note. What was the Kota District Collector doing when the Tehsildar was building public opinion against daughters taking away their property right in the natal homes,” said a joint memorandum by organisations.
Women leaders condemned the logic in the public document that claimed if a landholder farmer fails to get the daughter or sister to surrender her rights then it causes a lifetime of animosity. Further it advised farmers to do the same for all documents related to bank accounts, land records and the Jan Aadhaar.
Press note, a violation of Indian laws
Civil society groups like the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Rajasthan (PUCL), the Ekal Nari Shakti Sangathan, the Dalit Women Fight and others said the Prajapati was in contempt of court with the circulation of the note.
The Supreme Court on August 11, 2020 said in a Vinita Sharma Vs Rakesh Sharma and others case that daughters cannot be deprived of their right of equality conferred upon them by Section 6 of Hindu Succession Act.
“Instead of ensuring that provisions of section 6 of the 2005 amended Hindu Succession Act, 1956, are implemented to the hilt, this shocking press note completely violates the law of the land, which unequivocally confers coparcenary rights to daughters born before or after the amendment,” said Srivastava.
Emphasising the need to acknowledge women’s right to land, movable and immovable property, the memorandum pointed out that the World Bank said the growth rate of single women-headed households in India is rising at the rate of 20 percent. Similarly, the 2011 census report said India has as many as 11 percent of households headed by single women.
Moreover, nationally 67 percent of all men of working age are employed, only 9 percent of all women of working age are employed. In Rajasthan, the unemployment rate for women is 28 percent.
“In Rajasthan women are continuously denied their basic rights, including education, choice in marriage, land rights… We hope that such incidents are not repeated, which will further establish your government as being anti women and inimical towards the female gender,” said Srivastava.
The contentious press note may be read in Hindi and English here:
Related:
Forcibly evicted Khandwa Adivasis decry government apathy
Uttarakhand to confer ownership right to women working in husband’s fields
73.2% Of Rural Women Workers Are Farmers, But Own 12.8% Land Holdings