NEW DELHI – Hundreds of women belonging to the Kanjarbhat community onMonday took part in a march to the district collector’s office. Theysubmitted a memorandum seeking action against the group that has beencampaigning against the practice of “virginity tests” of brides within thecommunity, Indian Express has reported.
The memorandum, handed over to the Resident District Collector, RajendraMuthe, by an all-woman delegation said the tradition of “virginity tests”in the community was to ensure that “character, values in the family isprotected”. It claimed that every woman in the community honoured the“great tradition” by considering it a “Lakshaman Rekha”. The Kanjarbhatcommunity is a nomadic tribe in Maharashtra.
The march and the memorandum came within two days of a fresh incident of apossible motivated attack on the group of youths that is campaigningagainst the “virginity tests”. On Saturday, three motorbikes belonging tomembers of a WhatsApp group named “Stop The V-Ritual” that is running thecampaign, were found to have been damaged. Members of the group had comeunder attack earlier as well.
The community members who took out the march on Monday blamed the group forfiling false police complaints, creating hurdles in traditional ritualsfollowed by the community, defaming women of the community, and makingbaseless allegations against the caste panchayat.
“Girls in the Kanjarbhat community are given proper education, freedom.Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao movement has been going on in the community forthe last 500 years. But the government officer, Krushna Indrekar fromMumbai, Vivek Tamaichikar, Priyanka Tamaichikar of Pimpri, SiddhantIndrekar of Yerwada, Surabh Machhale of Wadgaonsheri (all members ofWhatsApp group) are defaming the women in the community by making baselessallegations… Nobody is socially boycotted by the community. But theMaharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti is consistently making statementsthat caste panchayat members should be booked under the law against socialboycott,” the memorandum stated.
It is the second time that the community has come out publicly against thecampaigners. On the International Women’s Day earlier this month, somecommunity women had spoken against the campaigners, saying “virginity test”was a matter between the family members of the bride and groom, and that nowoman had been victimised. They had even alleged that the campaigners had“conspired” to defame the community “for financial gains”.
Ganesh Machhare, one of those present at the march, said the residentdistrict collector had listened to their demands and assured them that hewould look into the matter. He claimed the official had also promised totake up the matter with Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla.