In the Sundarbans, there are over 3,000 women whose husbands have been killed by tigers. [15] Most of these so-called "tiger widows" face social stigma, legal challenges, and financial hardship.
Ostracism
Sundarban islanders frequently shun tiger widows as swami khejos ('husband eaters' in Bengali). [16] The belief that tiger widows are bad omens is derived from the religious text, The Miracles of Bonbibi, considered sacred by both Hindus and Muslims in the Sundarbans. [16] In the text, Bonbibi, the spirit guardian of the wilderness, declared that anyone who stole from the forest out of greed would not be rescued if they were attacked by a tiger. [16] This story led to the superstition that tiger attacks can be avoided by the penitence and austerity of a woker's wife back home. [16] If the man is killed, it is viewed as divine punishment for the sins of the wife. [16] Some believe the widows are actually devils. [17] Others call them witches. [18]
After the death of her husband, it is common for a tiger widow to be pushed out of the household by her in-laws, who have the authority to keep any of her male children. [16] Religious leaders prohibit the tiger widows from spiritual activities, [19] including their own husbands' funerals. [20] One widow, Lolita Biswas, stated:
It’s terribly painful. I am so isolated. When I hear people speak about me, I go back home and cry alone. I am not allowed to show my face at religious occasions. So I prefer not to go anywhere. I take long walks instead, alone. [19]
Tiger widows often face discrimination when seeking traditional jobs in agriculture, crabbing, and shrimping. [16] [21] According to one tiger widow, "No boatman will take us into the creeks as they fear they too would be consumed by the tigers." [21] Widows frequently leave the area, hoping to become maids in nearby cities, but upon arrival, many are coerced into working at local brothels. [22] [23] For those who choose to stay behind in the Sundarbans, malnutrition is prevalent. [20] Some widows are only able to ward off starvation by foraging roots and scraps from better-off families. [20] Other women move to isolated villages like Bidhoba Para that are populated predominately by other tiger widows. [24] However, local custom forbids children from living in these communities with their mothers. [25] Though limited contact with their children is tolerated, frequent visits to the villages are discouraged. [25] Those who reside in the tiger widow villages typically cultivate small agricultural plots, [25] but increased salinity in the soil has rendered much of the crop ground in the Sundarbans infertile, even for small-scale subsistence farming. [26]
Ultimately, most widows feel they have no choice but to fish the waters in the same jungles where their husbands were killed. [26] [27] [28] A widow named Aparna Shiyali spoke of following in her husband's footsteps, saying, "It was a spring day when he went crab fishing and never returned. Now I go crab fishing because if I do not go, my children will starve." [29]
Government compensation and legal obstacles
To combat the economic difficulties suffered by the tiger widows, the forest department of West Bengal in 2021 stipulated that any death due to a wild animal is eligible for a compensation of Rs. 500,000. [15] Yet the families of victims rarely receive any form of payment. [15] To apply for compensation, the forest department requires widows to produce a series of documents, including a post-mortem report, a death certificate, and a police report. [15]
Post-mortem reports are unavailable if the woman cannot retrieve her husband's corpse, which is commonly carried off by the tiger. [15] Without a post-mortem, death certificates will not list the cause of death as a tiger attack. [15] Death certificates are also impossible to obtain without a police report, which are not always requested by the families of victims. [15] Most attacks on fishermen go unreported to the police out of fear of punishment. [30] About 75% of workers who enter the mangroves do so without the necessary legal permits, [31] which is considered a criminal offense. [32] The cost of acquiring the required permits can run high, as much as $600–700 USD. [19] Meanwhile, the per capita income in the region is only 0.5 USD a day. [33]
Even when a widow can produce her late husband's permits, police departments remain reluctant to issue reports on tiger attacks. [15]
Other routes to recovery
Under to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, the family of a victim is entitled to payment through the fisheries department if the victim possessed a fisherman's identity card. [15] However, illiteracy prevents many widows from finishing the application forms. [15] Of 65 tiger widows surveyed in one study, only three could read. [20]
In the past, private companies have offered life insurance for tiger attacks, but claims made by the beneficiaries have never been approved. [15] Rather than disbursing the funds, the private insurers proclaimed it was their policy to wait until the forest department confirmed the victim met all the requirements for state compensation. [15]
