E-Paper
Kanjarbhat community stands divided over virginity test
The tension between the protesters and the community members is palpable at every wedding attended by the protesters. The protesters have gained the attention of the government, police as well as international media, but the problem is far from being resolved.
The virginity test of a newly married bride of the Kanjarbhat community has polarised the community in a lopsided war against the youth who are opposing the custom. A mixed group of people are opposing the protesters. This large section of people includes the old guard of the community, a major group of working class group of men and women of the community, and the young followers of the community elders. Effectively, the group of 40-45 odd protesters stand against the very people who live around them.
On February 28, Ranjit Patil, minister of state, home, Maharashtra, assured police action against any advocates of the custom.
Eight days after the discussion in the council, the women supporting the virginity test observed International Women's Day as black day for their community. Besides levelling allegations at the protesters for spreading bad word about the community, the women have also claimed that young women of the community now have to face taunts while walking on the streets.
The 26 Pune-based women of the community, who support the custom, have demanded an apology from the protesters for defaming the women of the community at large.
"In Kanjarbhat community, even if a girl is asked to undergo a virginity test, it is a decision made by the families of the bride and groom. No elder citizens or relatives are involved in the matter," said a statement released by the group of women led by a community member, Bhawna Minekar, a resident of Yerawada area in Pune. In the statement, the women also alleged that since the matter has come to public atttention, the women of the community have to put up with stray comments from "anti-social elements" on the streets.
While the women allege that the protesters did not try to reach out to them before spreading word through media, the protesting youth have said that the community members have ostracised them from the community.
At a wedding on the night of February 25, Priyanka Tamchikar, a 25-year-old protester of the virginity custom, had called for media presence and police protection at a wedding from her maternal family. Manoj Machre, and Advocate Murchand Bhat, both known community leaders from Pune, were present at the wedding. Tamchikar was asked to leave the venue of the wedding multiple times while the community members kept passing comments about her being an outsider, unwelcome at her cousin brother's wedding.
Tamchikar accepted Christianity a few months ago and has been at the forefront of the protest along with Vivek Tamaichikar, a student at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), who is spear-heading the prootest.
The tension between the protesters and the community members is palpable at every wedding attended by the protesters. The protesters have gained the attention of the government, police as well as international media, but the problem is far from being resolved.
