No more ‘maa-behen’ gaali: Rs 500 fine in this Maharashtra village for using expletives

NASHIK: The Kolgaon gram panchayat in Ahilyanagar's Shrigonda on Sunday passed a resolution to penalise individuals using abusive language involving someone's mother or sister. The idea emerged when a woman from an agricultural family and a self-help Group member suggested it during a felicitation programme organised to honour women achievers in the village on the occasion of the International Women's Day.

Kolgaon, a village of around 9,000 residents comprising diverse castes and religions, primarily relies on agriculture. On Sunday, in line with govt directives, a special women's gram sabha was convened under the chairpersonship of senior anganwadi sevika (worker) Shakuntala Deshmukh.

Sarpanch Purushottam Lagad told TOI that during the sabha, women who had made noteworthy contributions to agriculture and other fields were felicitated. "It was during this event that Puja Jagtap proposed taking action against villagers who use abusive expressions referring to someone's mother or sister," Lagad said.

The issue raised by Puja Jagtap prompted a detailed discussion at the gram sabha. "After considerable deliberation, it was decided to impose a fine of Rs 500 on anyone found using such derogatory language," the sarpanch said.

To prevent the misuse of the rule, it was agreed that fines would be levied only when digital evidence was provided. "Since the proposal originated from women, the panchayat urged them (and, if required, their children) to take the lead in identifying offenders," Lagad said, adding that the collected fines would be used for village development.

Jagtap told TOI, "Insulting someone by referring to their mother or sister has become extremely common. Girls grow up to become women who shoulder family responsibilities. Their identities should not be demeaned to the point where such abuses are accepted casually."

The gram sabha also passed a resolution regarding cleanliness, urging residents to maintain the cleanliness at their homes and commercial establishments. Anyone found violating this, based on photographic evidence submitted to the gram panchayat, would be fined Rs 100.

Besides, Lagad said for the past year, following another resolution, village children study from 7pm to 9pm without any television or cellphone usage at home — a rule that even parents follow.