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‘Maa-Behen Gaali’ Banned! You Won’t Believe THIS Indian Village’s Punishment For Using Expletives — Details Inside

‘Maa-Behen Gaali’ Banned! You Won’t Believe THIS Indian Village’s Punishment For Using Expletives — Details Inside
For years, some of the most common abuses in everyday conversations have been centred on women. Think about it: how often do arguments quickly turn into insults where someone’s mother or sister is involved? These phrases are so normalised that many people do not even bother to question those hurling abuse. But things are now going to change. Well, at least, for one village in Maharashtra, which has decided not just to ask these questions but also to act on them.
Kolgaon, a village located in Shrigonda in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district, has introduced a rare rule aimed at discouraging such language. The village Gram Panchayat has passed a proposal that allows authorities to punish anyone who uses abusive words referring to someone’s mother or sister.
The idea emerged during a programme organised on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Kolgaon, home to around 9,000 residents, is a largely agriculture-dependent village where people from different castes and religions live together. As part of the celebrations, a special women’s Gram Sabha was organised in accordance with government guidelines. The meeting was chaired by Senior Anganwadi worker Shakuntala Deshmukh.
During the event, several women from the village who had made notable contributions in agriculture and other fields were honoured, but the gathering soon turned into something more than just a felicitation ceremony. It was during this meeting that Pooja Jagtap, a woman from a farming family and a member of a self-help group, raised a concern. Why should insults involving mothers and sisters be tolerated in everyday conversations, and why is nobody questioning these norms?
Punishment For Abusive Language
After this, the gram panchayat passed a proposal stating that anyone found using such abusive language would have to pay a fine of Rs 500. To prevent misuse of the rule, the village also decided that the penalty will only be imposed if digital evidence of the incident is submitted.
Sarpanch Purushottam Lagad told The Times of India, “Since the proposal originated from women, the panchayat urged them (and, if required, their children) to take the lead in identifying offenders," adding that the collected fines would be used for village development.
Gram Sabha’s Resolution
The Gram Sabha also passed another resolution related to cleanliness. Residents have been asked to maintain hygiene in their homes and commercial establishments. Anyone found violating this rule may face a fine of Rs 100 based on photographic evidence submitted to the panchayat.
Interestingly, Kolgaon has already implemented another community rule over the past year: children study at home between 7 pm and 9 pm without television or mobile phones.
Small steps, perhaps. But could such local initiatives slowly change the way people treat language? Kolgaon seems to think so, and we can’t agree more.
Source: News18
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