3 years after floods and deluge of promises, Kedarnath’s ‘widow villages’ lie forgotten
DEHRADUN: After the Kedarnath tragedy of 2013, the picturesque hamlets that comprise the Deoli-Bhanigram gram sabha cluster in Rudrapryag district overnight became known as the “villages of widows”. In all, 57 men who used to work as priests at the shrine had died in the flash floods, leaving their womenfolk behind.
The widows, about 35 of them, still get inconsolable while talking about the dreadful night of June 15-16 that year when deadly rains ravaged Kedarnath valley. Life for most others in the region has moved on even as the widows eke out a precarious living, feeding themselves and their children. But what hurts them most is the unkept promise of employment made to them by the state government, forcing many to live a hand-to-mouth existence.
“The state government gave all of us Rs 7 lakh as compensation. I spent much of that money in paying for the education of my two children. The government also promised jobs for us but nothing has happened yet,” said Anuja Tiwari, who along with her school-going daughters now depend on whatever they can earn as agricultural labourers and on financial support from an NGO. “The CM must keep his promise of a government job, because we have no steady source of income,” she added.
The villages of the region have potential for development of small scale industry and handicraft. “I am computer literate and can work in any department as an operator. The state government must give us a chance to work as temporary employees,” said another widow, Savitri. The disappointment of being “forgotten” by the state government is apparent among the widows and the locals as well. “Every year my husband used to go to Kedarnath to work as a priest and support us. Now, to ensure a steady income, the state government and district administration should allot us temporary sheds for running shops on the Kedarnath route,” said Leela Devi.
She blamed the state government for completely ignoring the widows and their families while on the other hand planning the redevelopment of Kedarnath. “If all the widows are given shops or sheds, we will be able to support our families independently. Otherwise we will live in penury for the rest of our lives.”The villagers said that only two NGOs (Sulabh and Mandakini) are helping them financially, but they need a permanent and regular source of income. “The NGOs are giving us financial assistance, which is good, but our situation will continue to be precarious for years. So a permanent solution like allotment of shops at Kedarnath will help us more,” said Leela’s son, Vipin. “These women work in homes and fields in the villages. Barring a few NGOs, no one has supported our sisters. Now two women have started working at Kedarnath to support their families,” said Deoli pradhan Hari Prasad.
Traditionally, the villages of the cluster all had priests who worked at the shrine. “Certain rituals and normal pujas are still done by the priests, but these two women have also started working at the shrine and this has drawn a positive response from the people,” the pradhan added. However, locals said this still does not address the long-term concerns of the survivors.
