Meet on Vrindavan widows today

Varanasi (PTI): Prominent Hindu seers and Sanskrit scholars from across the country will meet in Varanasi on Monday to explore ways and means to improve the livelihood of widows here. Scores of widows are abandoned by their families here, and they are forced to live in squalor and seek alms for the rest of their lives. A large number of widows, including elderly women from different parts of the country, staying in Varanasi, are waiting to join these Sanskrit scholars and Hindu saints to ventilate their feelings against this age old practise, Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak said. "We will urge the eminent Sanskrit scholars to lend us a helping hand in strengthening our campaign against widowhood," he said. Pathak said he intends to draft a bill and hand it over to the Parliament to address the plight of widows who are abandoned by their families. "I strongly feel time has come for the government to enact a law for the welfare, protection and maintenance of widows so that their living conditions and general existence are improved," he said. "The enormous sufferings and hardships the widows in the country continue to face can only be changed by drafting a law for their all round maintenance," Pathak added. He said that he would hand over a copy of the draft bill to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.