People's Democracy

STRANGLEHOLD OF OBSCURANTISM

‘Kuttu Bai Didn’t Commit Sati; She Was Murdered’

THE recent incident at Patna Tamoli village in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, in which a widow was burnt alive in the name of sati, once again shows how deep-seated brutality and inhuman practices are in our society. This blot on our society was a result of religious obscurantism on the one hand, which is consciously promoted under the garb of religious functions glorifying superstitions and unscientific beliefs. On the other hand, a greed for property was the cause operating below the surface. The incident fully exposes the passivity of the administration and police also.

OBSCURANTIST MENTALITY

Along with the ruling political elite, the administrative machinery too is permeated with a deep-rooted obscurantist mentality, which explains why no immediate action is taken in such cases. When Roop Kanwar was burnt alive in 1987, top political leaders like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Rajmata Scindia and some state government officials had visited the site to offer their prayers.

In the present case, both the MLA and MP of the area belong to the BJP. Sudha Malaiya, a prominent leader of the state BJP, was part of the team of National Commission of Women that visited the spot. Malti Maurya, member of the State Commission of Women, said Kuttu Bai was an extraordinary lady and could well have done what she did. This statement is not only shameful but openly promotes sati. By blaming only the police for inaction, the National Commission for Women tried to promote religious obscurantism and superstitions and, in effect, shielded the guilty. When this is the mentality of people in such high positions, what can be said of those at the lower levels!

This murder of Kuttu Bai in the name of sati is not the first incident of its kind. Earlier too, there were reported five cases of burning widows alive and, subsequently, of prayers being offered at those sites. In Patna Tamoli also, as soon as the police moves away, attempts will surely be made to convert this place into a temple and glorify Kuttu Bai as sati.

THE TEAM’S INVESTIGATION

These are the facts a delegation came across when it visited the village and spoke to the villagers directly. The delegation consisted of representatives of the Janwadi Mahila Samiti (an AIDWA affiliate), Samta Mahila Samiti, Madhya Pradesh Mahila Manch, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti and DYFI.

Patna Tamoli village is located at a distance of about 60 kilometres from the district headquarters and has a population of nearly 3000. During their interaction with the delegation, the villagers revealed that there had been incidents of sati around this village some time ago. These places are still being worshipped. When the delegation reached the village, only a few souls could be seen. There was an eerie silence in the village. Villagers were ready neither to disclose anything nor to venture out of their houses due to the fear of the police. After visiting the site of the murder, the team met some villagers and registered the statements of some members of Kuttu Bai’s family on reaching her house.

According to Asha Devi, Kuttu Bai’s daughter-in-law, she had gone to her parents’ household as she was pregnant. She learnt of Kuttu Bai having performed sati from her relatives and reached the village the next day. Her family members and others in the village addressed Kuttu Bai as Phua (literally, father’s sister). According to Asha Devi, Kuttu Bai had cordial relations with her husband Mullu. She took complete care of the house, and he used to leave the house in her supervision whenever he went out. When we asked her whether she thought Kuttu Bai could have done this, she told us that she could have done something like this. Phua had little interaction with Mullu Kaka as, along with the property, a division of the parents had also taken place. So Phua stayed with them while Mullu stayed with the elder son. Asha Devi told that Phua was not used to offering prayers.

Kuttu Bai’s elder daughter-in-law and Ashok’s wife, Prabhati Bai told the team that Mullu died around midnight on August 5 but they informed Kuttu Bai of it at about 5 a.m next morning. When she was asked to see the dead body, she did not even come to see it. Having taken a bath, she reached near the body only after quite some time. The family then tried to console her. On speaking further to her, we found that Kuttu Bai did not have good relations with Prabhati Bai’s husband. Prabhati Bai said they did not even come to know when she set out from the house to perform sati. They found mahawar scattered in the house when she had left. Kuttu Bai’s sister and Prabhati Bhai told that Kuttu Bai was born in this village itself and that she had good relations with everyone. They said they had never imagined that she would perform sati.

While narrating the incident, Prabhati Bai pointed to the family’s delicate financial situation and objected to her husband’s imprisonment. She said Kuttu Bai’s sons did not light the funeral pyre. When she was adamant on performing sati along with her husband’s dead body, her sons informed the sarpanch (elected chief of the village panchayat).

Bimla Chaurasiya, the sarpanch, said she is the only woman who has won from an unreserved seat, defeating ten male candidates who opposed her. She formed a Mahila Mandal in the village about a year ago and still keeps organising its meetings. She has organised some programmes too through this Mahila Mandal. She said she was shocked when she came to know about the incident.

Bimla Chaurasiya told the delegation that at about 7 in the evening, about 15 people took Mullu’s body towards the cremation ground. An hour later, Khan Sahib came to her house and informed that Kuttu Bai was going to perform sati.

Meanwhile, Kuttu Bai's younger son also came to our house and said that Phua had climbed the funeral pyre and was insisting on performing sati. We told him not to light the funeral pyre as this was against the law. He left and later feigned ignorance of the incident. On further investigation, Chaurasiya said someone would have lit the funeral pyre, although some say that it caught fire because of the incense sticks. She said that she did not have concrete information. She told the delegation that she had made every attempt to prevent the incident.

Zilla Parishad’s vice chairperson Mamta Sharma told that Kuttu Bai chose to perform sati on her own; so no one else can be held responsible. When we asked her why others did not stop her, she said many tried to stop her but she was determined, did not relent and performed sati. As she appeared educated and refined, the delegation was deeply disappointed with her views.

Subdivisional magistrate (SDM) Arun Kumar Mishra said it was a planned murder; the villagers had burnt Kuttu Bai alive. The policemen tried to save her but the people prevented them from doing so and beat up the SHO mercilessly. He said they received the information at about 10 minutes past 9 in the night and the SHO, along with two policemen, immediately left for the site of the incident. Later, 8 more policemen joined them. The villagers beat up the police personnel and prevented them from doing their duty. He said highly inflammable materials such as incense sticks, camphor, coconut oil, etc, which give out long flames, had been placed on the pyre in huge quantities. He felt the people of the village could have prevented the incident from occurring. When we asked why the police did not resort to firing in the air, he could not muster any reply.

During the delegation’s interactions with the youth of the village, they first hesitated to speak out, but later some youth did speak. They had varying expressions of laughter on their faces. When the team asked them whether they were present at the site, they said they did not want to get into trouble by disclosing it. They said they did not know who all were present there. These youth also supported the inhuman practices prevalent in our society. They said: as Kuttu Bai was going to perform sati, the funeral pyre caught fire on its own (!) They said that it was due to her attachment with her husband that she decided to die with him. How could anyone have stopped her! This was the way they put it.

CONCLUSIONS & DEMANDS

After speaking to the villagers, the delegation reached the following conclusions:

1) Kuttu Bai had far from cordial relations with her husband. This is amply demonstrated by the fact that she did not rush to see the dead body and saw it only much later. Hence she could not have performed sati on her own.

2) Kuttu Bai was a 65 years old lady who walked with a bent back and did not even offer prayers.

3) The economic situation of the family was not good. Kuttu Bai owned a five acre plot inherited from her father and it had not been divided among her sons. As she did not have good relations with her elder son, there could have been a vested interest in getting her killed.

4) Mullu's body was taken to the cremation grounds at about 7 p m and the funeral pyre was lit only at about 9:30 p m. Then, why did the people not stop the incident form occurring?

5) How did a 65 years old woman climb atop a three and a half feet high pyre? Who were her associates? When she got ready and went out, why did anyone not stop her?

6) The police got the information well in time but neither took it seriously nor tried to save Kuttu Bai. Only 3 policemen were sent to the spot. Adequate police force could have reached the spot in two to three hours time.

Based on its findings, the delegation demanded the following:

a) A high level committee must probe the entire incident, and it must include representatives of the women’s organisations. No action must be taken on the biased reports of the state and national level commissions for women.

b) All those who provoked Kuttu Bai to perform this act, those who lit the fire, those who provoked the people to raise slogans and all those who were directly or indirectly responsible for this incident, must be charged under the Sati Prevention Act 1987 and relevant sections of the statues for murder and abetment to murder.

c) Exemplary action must be taken against the police officials including the SHO, who did not take the incident seriously and did not send police force in adequate numbers.

d) Stringent ban must be imposed on all such organisations operating in Patna Tamoli and the adjoining areas, as seek to perpetuate the obscurantist beliefs and practices among the people.

e) There must be a ban on holding any religious function on the spot and effective steps taken to prevent the erection of any kind of memorial on the spot.

f) An effective and powerful social awareness campaign must be conducted in the area to break the stranglehold of obscurantist and superstitious beliefs. Information on Sati Prevention Act should be disseminated widely.

g) Malti Maurya, member of the State Commission of Women, must be dismissed from the commission for her remarks promoting sati.