#VinitasPune – Where Money Reins Supreme And Bonds Turn Sour

Rakshabandhan
Image used for representation only

Once known only for its bizarre centuries-old annual tradition of human sacrifice, Hinjewadi is now internationally acclaimed for the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park which was set up in the early 1990s.

Bagad is an annual festival held on the occasion of Chaitra Poornima (April) where the symbolic human sacrifice ritual continues even today.

This involves piercing the back of a young man with an iron hook and then parading him around the village. This is done by suspecnding the person from a t-shaped long wooden pole that is placed on a bullock cart.  The huge cloud of turmeric that accompanies this fill the air and momentarily blurs the cyber landscape… 

In this land of contrast, where technology and bizarre tradition go hand-in-hand, the socio-economic story of its original land owners, the farmers, is a picture of the good, the bad and the ugly.

This agrarian community was lured by the quick money offered in lieu of their agricultural land.

Farmers who sold out during the 1st Phase of Hinjewadi in the early 1990s were quite naïve and gave away their precious land for a few lakhs. However, by the time Phase II and Phase III (and now Phase IV) land acquisitions began, the farmer fraternity realised the market value of their land and handled deals smartly.

This then paved the way over the past two decades for the erstwhile farming families to build personal wealth.

While some frittered away the money by indulging in a pompous lifestyle, others greatly benefitted by using it sensibly.

An unfortunate consequence of this wealth is the sibling rivalry, hatred and conflict that has come about. The married girls of the family (living with their in-laws) are now demanding their share of the land money that has was given only to their brothers.

About a decade back, I reported on this heart wrenching sister-brother break-up story. after I heard from several farmers in Hinjewadi that Rakshabandhan and Bhaubeej (during Diwali) were not celebrated in several homes anymore.

The tussle between the father and sons on one side and the sisters, their husbands and his family on the other continues unabated. Not surprisingly, just last week, I heard from my sister that her neighbour’s sister-in-law did not celebrate Rakshabandhan since she is demanding much more than she is being offered by her father and brother.

One can understand sibling rivalry, but normally, such issues are forgotten during the festivals in an act of togetherness.

However, the animosity in these cases is high enough for such bonds to break without bending even a bit.

A farmer told me that when the daughters of these families get married, there is no such uneasiness in the relationship. The daughters are not even aware that they have a legal stake to this property.

It is almost always provoked by the husband and this word has spread so rapidly, that it has now become a burning issue in rural areas in Western Maharashtra, he remarked. 

In what can be termed as gender equality in an inheritance issue, the husbands and their families have made their wives aware of their rights.

It is also alleged that they are prompting their wives to demand sums in line what they perceive as fair.

In th case of my sister’s friend, the brother is seeking closure of this controversy by paying two crore rupees, but the sister’s family wants much more.

While some would scoff at this dark side of this story of economic glory and empowerment for the agriculturists, the others will identify the agony and suffering the communities face from the public at large.

The issue is contentious and solutions seem like mirages, yet, my heart goes out to those sisters and brothers locked in battles that belittle the virtue of the symbolic thread that connotes the love and protection of a brother.

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All views expressed in this column are those of the author and Pune365 does not necessarily subscribe to them.

 

Vinita Deshmukh