Bihar: Wife demands toilet or divorce, Sulabh officials save the day

, May 13: It may sound bizarre to many but this is the case in many rural Indian households in India. With no toilets and no proper amenities, the women of the household have to fend for themselves in unhygienic conditions in farm lands. This woman, however, raised her voice against such unhealthy practices even at the cost of her marriage.

Sulabh International came to the rescue of the husband Alakh Niranjan by not only providing a toilet for the household, but also rewarding his wife with Rs 1,00,000.

"I am the happiest person now as my wife will no more demand divorce for lack of a toilet," said Niranjan who belongs Sadeshopur village near Bihta town in Patna district.

A newspaper hawker, Niranjan said,"At last someone came forward to help me to save my marriage. My wife is also happy over this development."

Last month, his wife approached the women's helpline in Patna, seeking help for divorce as her husband was unable to build a toilet for him, despite repeated assuarances.

Meanwhile, the founder of Sulabh International, Bindeshwari Pathak who hails from Bihar said,"We will not allow her to take divorce for the absence of a toilet. We will construct a toilet soon for her."

Citing lack of finance, Niranjan said that he was not able to build the toilet for her. His wife, on the other hand, told the woman's helpline that he used to thrash her whenever she asked for a toilet. "Since 2009, my husband has been assuring me to construct the toilet but it is yet to be built. Whenever I insisted for it, he thrashed me. Now I have decided not to live with him," she had said.

The official further said that the couple had been summoned in end-May to resolve the dispute.

BIhar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced in last November that his government was committed to providing toilets to all as defecating in the open was a violation of dignity for the women.

Bihar has a population of 105 million people, out of which 21.9 million lack toilet facilities. Ironically, the Central Government had planned to construct 11.1 million toilets in the state by 2013, but it is yet to materialise.

OneIndia News