Manish Kumar
Post News Network
Balipatna, Oct 12: Scientific advancement and technology have failed to mitigate many a social evil besetting several parts of the state. A case in point is an unwritten social law, currently in vogue at Balipatna, on the outskirts of the city barring women from plucking betel leaves, for it is believed if women are allowed into this job, they would contaminate the plants resulting in their eventual destruction.
In a clear case of gender discrimination, only men have the right to pluck betel leaves here. Due to the social ban, women are kept away from the entire process of this cash crop farming starting from its growing to marketing.
“We are not allowed to touch the plants and pluck their leaves as it has been considered ominous. It is believed that women can potentially contaminate the plants and the plants eventually die a premature death if women pluck their leaves,” a woman from Balipatna said, requesting she not be named.
A community radio-Radio Kissan, based in Balipatna, has now undertaken the task of creating awareness about the issue. They are now using agriculture scientists and other experts to make the villagers believe that gender plays no role in growing or suppressing the growth of a plant.
Pradeep Kumar Dutta, director of Radio Kissan, said, “We are trying our best to weed out the menace. Recently, we organised a few workshops with the help of experts to talk to stakeholders to make them see the reason that gender plays little role in growing of a plant.”
K B Mohapatra, Professor, OUAT, recently visited the region along with the radio station volunteers. The team threw light on scientific causes of the disease in plants ewhich is wrongly perceived that they are caused by gender intervention. N A Shah Ansari, a radio activist and president of Orissa Community Radio Association, has also been working with the radio station to weed out the wrong beliefs. “Women should be free from unscientific social trap that blocks their development and empowerment, said N A Shah.
In one of the maiden awareness programmes, about 50 women farmers from different villages participated in the event. Volunteers working with the mission said they have been successful in persuading a few villagers and final outcomes would be visible over next few months.
