Vaishnavi's death: Maratha families decide to expose those who harass daughters-in-law

Time of India

26-05-2025

Pune: Saying no to extravagant weddings, exposing families that harass their daughters-in-law, creating awareness, and empowering women were some of the decisions made by prominent families from the Maratha community in Pune on Monday.
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This comes after the death of Vaishnavi, daughter-in-law of now expelled NCP politician Rajendra Hagawane, who was found dead at her marital home in Bhukum on May 16. Police arrested her husband and in-laws on the charges, among others, of abetment to suicide and dowry. Deputy chief ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, cabinet ministers such as Girish Mahajan and Pankaja Munde, and opposition members visited her parents' house to show solidarity.
In this backdrop, members from the Shirole, Bhosale, Shinde, Tupe, Jagtap and Kakade families came together and expressed the need to introspect and bring in changes in the community for a better future of girls.
"Change begins in our own families. We must first acknowledge the problems before resolving them. Therefore, in this first-ever meeting, we decided to form an executive committee that would guide our community on a progressive path.
Pune is the city of revolutionaries, and we will draw inspiration from them," said Shrikant Shirole from Shivajinagar.
While extending their support to Vaishnavi's parents in seeking justice, they said that instead of focusing on just one family, they should be vocal against people within the community who possess a mindset similar to the Hagawanes.
Former Pune mayor Rajlaxmi Bhosale said Vaishnavi's death defamed the entire Maratha community.
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"Women will have to take the lead in empowering girls. We will also have to create awareness among women of not discriminating between their daughters and daughters-in-law."
The members also decided to expose families that harass women for various reasons, including dowry.
"The community will have to show unity in exposing families like that of the Hagawane. Once the message spreads that the Marathas will not tolerate the harassment of women, it will help curb such incidents of domestic violence," said Congress city president Arvind Shinde, who organised the meeting.
The participants passed several resolutions, including advocating for simple weddings and empowering women so that if they face problems, they will not take drastic steps but will raise their voices against injustice. They also aim to create awareness among families to support their daughters when needed.