Sati shadow: MP govt to raise public awareness

Bhopal, Sep 23 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Woman and Child Development Minister Kusum Singh Mahdele has said that every attempt would be made to raise public awareness in rural areas so that there was no recurrence of incidents such as the alleged sati at Baniyani village.

''The state government will soon take solid steps to free the village psyche from the shackles of social evils and superstition.

Public awareness camps will be organised,'' said Ms Mahdele who recently visited the village, in Chhatarpur district, along with State Women's Commission members Saroj Rajput and Krishnkanta Tomar.

Urging action against a watchman who was late in conveying news of the incident, she added that action should also be taken against the panchs, sarpanch and patwari.

''It is a heinous crime to remain mute spectators to any such offence,'' she told Baniyani's residents. The Commission's members gathered details from the affected family and warned against glorification of the incident.

Karuiya Devi immolated herself on her husband Siyaram Rajput's pyre last Wednesday. Shockingly, it was the second incident of its kind in Bundelkhand region within a month.

UNI SD-AC 1948