The Journey of Saraswati Bai

Physical violence, abuse and desertion failed to break Saraswati bai’s spirit. With support from her SHG, CRP and her lawyer, she not only became financially self-sufficient but also succeeded in challenging the social norms of the village

S araswati bai belongs to Gowadi village in Shahpur block, Betul district, Madhya Pradesh. Saraswati bai, like many others, is a Gond. Her village is dominated by Gonds. Cases of violence are common in the area; however, these are not reported. A single mother of a teenage daughter, it took 16 long years for Saraswati bai to file a case against her husband and her in-laws. The husband, apart from causing physical injury to Saraswati bai, had deserted her when she was pregnant. The physical violence, as evident from the burn marks on her face and neck, was of such extreme nature that Saraswati bai deems herself lucky to be alive. Actually Saraswati bai was asleep at the time, and is not sure whether it was her husband or in-laws who set her on fire.

After many years of torture, Saraswati bai finally returned to her maternal home in 1993. Sustaining herself was her biggest challenge. In 2005, she joined a Gowadibased SHG called Belakali Mahila Samiti. The SHG was being promoted by the Narmada Mahila Sangh—the larger federating body of SHGs organized by PRADAN in the region. Initially skeptical of the SHG model, she would often discourage other SHG women members of her village from attending such meetings, or even placing their concerns out in the open. However, her opinions underwent a transformation after she noticed the many positive changes the SHGs had succeeded in ushering.