Why is society so unkind to widows? Why are widows so vulnerable despite having various legal rights to their name? Does the death of a husband render a woman incapable of respect and dignity? Is a woman’s life valuable only if she has a husband?

“Every person, every woman can dance but picking up a mic is a challenge. For me speaking and singing in front of everyone on a mic felt like a challenge so that it where I worked hard at,” Phoolan Devi.

Given the various restrictions mandated amidst the coronavirus pandemic, a limited number of widows took part in the celebrations. They also wore masks and maintained social distancing.

It’s time we acknowledged that a bereaved woman going through the emotionally wrenching event of losing her life partner does not need a misogynist code of social conduct that disarms her.