These gritty women keep fight going

BELGAUM: Mahadevi Hospet's alcoholic husband's body was lying on the outskirts of her village for two days. But the woman, who works as a labourer,was not even informed by any one in the village.Manjula Hiremath's husband, the sole breadwinner of the family, died after consuming arrack sold in the village shops. Shobha, Mallavva and others have similar stories to narrate.
The womenfolk have for long been demanding that the four arrack shops in the village be closed down, but this has been strongly resisted by the men.The women, who could not succeed after all democratic means, are now sitting on dharna in the premises of the deputy commissioner's office since Wednesday with their children hoping that the administration closes all the arrack shops in the interest of their children's future.
Asundi, a small village in Saundatti with a population of over 5,000, has four arrack shops. Most of its people are agricultural labours with no avenues for employment. But four arrack shops have been flourishing in the village and one or two succumbing every month.
If the situation continues the village will have only women and children and as all men will have become victims of arrack, rued Mahadevi, one of the first to be affected by the arrack menace.
"We office-bearers of 20 Stree Shakti women's self-help groups, have made all possible efforts to secure the closure of the arrack shops, but have failed. While we are there, they shut the doors and carry the sachets in pockets and sell them to customers. Despite complaints, the officials concerned have failed to act," said Mallavva Madiwalar.
"Determined to close the shops we are sitting in the DC office premises since Wednesday and will not go until our demands are met," they echoed. "There are many villages in the district which have been made liquor-free as per the demands of the women and we too want the same to protect our coming generations as boys in their teens are also falling victims to the arrack menace," said Shantavva.
DC Shalini Rajneesh, who is on a visit to villages in Athani taluk, was not available for comment. Despite the women sitting in the DC office premises for about 24 hours, headquarter assistant S M Sonnad was ignorant of the same.When asked, he said: "I do not have any knowledge of this and will look into the matter if they meet me". Attempts to contact the deputy superintendent of excise also were futile.