The Water Wives

The story of natives of a small village, where water decided the living style of everyone, even the basic rights of girls.

Phulki was 25 years old widow, after her husband's death, there was no-one to take care of her. She had become a burden for her brothers and father. Even after doing all the household work, her sisters in law were always complaining against her. There was no other option for her except of being a waterwife, which every young widow had to accept, as the alternate way of living.

Lets listen the story of Phulki....

Phulki had to get marry to 60 years old, Bharath. 56 yrs old Tuki is the first wife of Bharath, was married him 40 yrs back and a mother of 4 daughters who are already married. 38 yrs old Jhumry is the second wife of Bharath, who married him 13 yrs back and now conceiving the second child from Bharath. Jhumry was abandoned by her first husband.

 25 yrs old Phulki is the third wife of Bharath, who married him yesterday only and is a widow.

She was welcomed by Tuki into Bharath's house.

“Welcome to our house, have a sit here and never hesitate to tell me anything, whatever you need…” Tuki said to Phulki.

“Didi, could you please help me in carrying all the matkas…” the next day morning around 3am, Phulki made Tuki to get up from her sleep, while preparing to go out for bringing water.

Barefooted Phulki came back, carrying 50 lts of water, after 3 hours of walk, 3 kms one way and waiting for 2 hours in the queue to get the water…

Her hair was drangled up, saree was little torn out and had become muddy…

What was the reason of her this kind of condition?

The reason was that she had to fight with other ladies to get the water….

Phulki kept all the water vessels in kitchen and wash room and went for helping Jhumry in preparing the breakfast.

Tuki was making Chunni- the daughter of Jhumry ready, for school… after that she had to leave for farming with Bharath…

After 4 hrs, around 10 am, Phulki again started for bringing water carrying the same water vessels which had become empty after the household’s use.

This time the Sun had become bright and was sharing its prickling hit.

Phulki had to bring another 50 lts of water at 42 degree celcius temperature… it does not matter for her how hot the sun is or how hot the ground is to put her bare feet!!!

Anyway, she had to do it, as she is married only because of this reason!!!

Or else who will provide her the basic necessities- the shelter, the food and the cloth, to a widow!!!

There was no place for her either in her in-laws house or her parent’s house after the demise of her first husband!!!

She has two hands and two legs, which she can utilize to bring water from far places.

Denganmal, Maharashtra, India.

This is not a story, but the life of every woman in this area.

A drought-hit village having around 2500 Adivasi families, 55 kilo- metres of a dusty bumpy ride into the interiors from Thane district.

Why was Bharat having three wives?

Bharath had to marry second time, when Tuki was not able to bring water when she conceived for the third time, so that Jhumry will bring the water required for the household work. And the same case now with Phulki….

No one has their daughter marry a man in a drought-hit village. Therefore, it is difficult for the men to get wives from other regions, particularly the irrigated parts of the state. So a man from a drought-hit village will marry a girl from another drought-hit village, or from his own. Such women understand drought and the needs of families in such villages, so there is no shirking of work. Every woman in the family does her equal share of it. The house members even force to go fetch water just 10 days after her child was born.

A majority of the women here have low haemoglobin levels. Many of them suffer from anaemia, miscarriages and shifted fertility apart from routine back and neck pains.

But, instead of all these sacrifices, as per the Panchyat’s rule, Jhumry and Phulki are termed as Panniwali Bai, instead of Bharat’s wife!!! The rule also says that these Panniwali Bais don’t have any right on their husband’s property and also they cannot stay with their husbands in a single room. They are married only to bring water, as a return, it is a duty of their husbands and the first wives of their husbands to give them food and shelter. These Panniwali Bais are never unmarried girls, all are either abandoned by their first husbands or have become widows. Though this is the rule of Panchayat, but no one obeys this rule. All wives share a single husband, the age gap does not matter for them.

So, in that situations, it becomes never a tension for the family members whether these girls become widow or abandoned, as they have the alternate that they can become Panniwali Bais after that. So, this is the win-win situations for both sides. But, has anyone asked them how they feel to face this situation?

The women in metro cities or in other part of the country, fight with their husbands, if they don’t get enough fund to sponsor their kitty parties or parlor expenses, but Panniwali Bais don’t hesitate to share their husbands to meet the basic need of the house that is to arrange water.

How difficult is it for a girl to share her husband with another girl?

Is the Govt doing its duty to provide water in these drought-hit areas?

Is the Govt taking proper actions to eradicate gender discrepancy?

Have we citizens ever given values to these kind of issues?

Have we, the so called educated women even given respect to those women?