CHANDIGARH: The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict is an age-old one but a nondescript village in
Haryana has launched an initiative, which it feels will inspire women living in the village of 3,000 to treat their
in-laws better.
Interestingly, the panchayat of Jagga Barra village in Hansi subdivision of
Hisar district only focuses on women and "their responsibilities," but has nothing to say about the role of men in providing care for their own parents, or, for that matter, their in-laws.
The villagers, living on the outskirts of Hansi sub-division, have significantly high education levels due to proximity to the city. However, social roles are still traditional in this village dominated by Saini and Gujjar communities. Haryana's former irrigation and power minister Atar Singh Saini belongs to this village and it is named after Saini's grandfather Jaggamal Saini.
The village panchayat this year introduced a system of honouring women who take good care of in-laws with a cash reward of Rs 5,100 each on August 15 every year. This year, the award was given to 50-year-old Pushpa Saini, who has been taking care of her bedridden mother-in-law for the last several years.
Kamlesh Rani, village
sarpanch, said the award was to motivate women, especially those from the younger generation, to take care of their in-laws.