Ranchi District legal Services Authority (DlSA), following a directive from the Jharkhand High Court, has literally succeeded in saving a marriage, which was on the verge of break up, by facilitating construction of a toilet at the groom’s house with the help of the district administration under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachch Bharat Abhiyan.
Sarojini Devi, living at a separate accommodation for the last three years, had put a condition during mediation at Ranchi Civil Court that she would go back to her in-law’s house only after her husband Shambu Das gets a toilet constructed in his house.
“I have been informed by the High Court and the block officials as well, that construction of toilet has been completed and I will go back to my in-laws’ place on Monday. Thanks to the Jharkhand High Court and the DlSA, only due to their efforts, I would be able to lead a dignified life at my in-laws’ place,” said an upbeat Sarojini Devi. “My daughter and I had been living separately in a rented house in Khalari after leaving the in-laws’ place for the last three years,” she added.
DlSA Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh also asserted that the compliance report had been submitted to the High Court after getting a report from the Khalari Block Development Officer (BDO) that the construction work was completed.
“This is a classic example of family reunion where ‘Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi played an important role to remove deadlock in the relationship, which was on the verge of collapse due to lack of toilet in the house,” said Singh. “It proves that a sense of awareness towards their rights has started developing among the women which, was earlier lacking in the society,” he added.
Khalari BDO Gautam Prasad said that construction of a toilet at the Shambu Das’ house was completed immediately within a week of the letter received by DlSA.
Remarkably, the case was referred to Mediation Centre to get it resolved through mediation by Ranchi District Court where Sarojini Devi, where a condition was put by Sarojini Devi before her husband to get a toilet constructed at her in-law’s house at Khalari under McClusieganj police station.
When the High Court took up the case while hearing anticipatory bail applications of her in-laws on July 12, Shambhu pleaded that due to paucity of fund he had not been able to construct the toilet so far, as agreed during the mediation, and win back his wife’s love.
Justice Anant Bijay Singh, who was hearing the application, then directed the DlSA Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to look into the matter and get the toilet and bathroom constructed within eight weeks under Swachch Bharat Abhiyan and submit a report on the next date.
Sarojini Devi, a daily wage worker, had been married with Shambhu Das, a small shopkeeper way back in 1991, and has four children, two sons and two daughters out of the wedlock. She used to go to open field for the nature’s call all these years.
Some three years back, the couple indulged in a conflict. When it turned uglier, she left her husband’s house and began to live in a rented house with a toilet at Khalari. She also filed a criminal case against her husband and other family members.
The case ultimately reached the Ranchi district court, which referred it to Ranchi Mediation centre to get resolved through mediation. The couple, on June 3 last, agreed to resolve their dispute and put construction of a toilet as one of the conditions to return to her husband’s house.