The Bhumata Ranragini Brigade will lead an agitation in Sangli on Sunday on behalf of some 50-odd girls who have decided to discontinue studies fearing sexual harassment, said Trupti Desai, a woman’s rights activist and chief of the organisation, on Saturday.
She said the villagers of Masuchiwadi in Walwa tehsil of Sangli held a gram sabha (village meeting) where it was decided that girls should not be sent to educational institutions in Borgaon town.
“This is a serious issue. We will reach Sangli by 12.30 pm on Sunday and meet the superintendent of police and demand action against the goons who are harassing the girls. If the police is unable do its job, our activists will take up cudgels on the girls’ behalf and guard them,” said Ms Desai.
She also said it was commendable that despite the drought in rural areas, villagers were making an effort to send their wards to schools and colleges.
Ms Desai said that around 50 to 60 girls from Masuchiwadi commute to Borgaon to attend classes in schools and colleges.
“They commute by bus, private vehicles or even walk the distance. The local goons wait at the bus stops when the school or college classes end and the girls converge to go home.”
“They harass the girls by passing lewd comments, making (obscene) gestures, touching them inappropriately and asking them for their phone numbers. The girls had complained to their parents, who in turn took up the issue with the school, college management and even local politicians. However, no action was taken against the goons,” she said.
The Masuchiwadi village had held a gramsabha (village meeting) where it was resolved not to send girls to schools and colleges in Borgaon.
The villagers had also decided to boycott the panchayat samiti, zilla parishad,legislature and parliamentary elections, said Ms Desai.
