Source: www.ndtv.com
PATNA TAMOLI, INDIA, November 25, 2002: The Jabalpur High Court has served notice to the Madhya Pradesh government regarding the state government’s decision to collectively punish villagers of Patna Tamoli village. The punishment was meted out to this village after the residents allegedly helped a 65-year old woman commit sati (burning herself alive on the funeral pyre of her husband) on August 8, 2002. Following the incident, the government decided to stop all projects. These were essentially food-for-work programs meant to provide relief in this region badly affected by drought. Some of the residents approached the high court to end this two-year punishment by the government. “Those people who have encouraged sati should be punished. But the whole village should not be held responsible for this,” said Shankar Prasad Chaurasia, a petitioner. With all development work stopped, up to 300 residents of this village of 4,000 have abandoned their homes. A large number of them were working on government projects like a US$7,900 plan to provide drinking water. Now their pay and even pensions have been stopped. “We still haven’t got money for the previous work we did. The administration says that the money has been stopped but they should at least clear our old dues,” said Vimla Chaurasia, village head. As long as the government refuses to pay, the villagers say they have no alternative but to leave their homes and migrate elsewhere in search of livelihood.