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Kajri
Kajri was born in village Kadrava, from Bikaner district of
Rajasthan. She was a simple but vibrant child and everyone in her village adored
her. Her birth had brought good luck and happiness to the village. As she grew
up into a vivacious and beautiful teenager, her troubles started.
The young roadside Romeos and Ranjhas in the village longed for and lusted after
her. Things come to a boil when one of the ruffians, a modern day incarnation of
Ravana, spreads the falsehood that he has had physical relationship with Kajri.
This creates a stir in the sleepy village and Kajri''s name and reputation is
tarnished. The matter is finally brought before the village Panchayat which
treats Kajri as the one in the wrong. Finally, the Panchayat, after much
deliberation, puts the onus of proving her innocence on Kajri and suggests a way
to do it.
Kajri has to take the ''Agni Pareeksha''. She has to walk through fire in nude
in front of the Devi Mandir. If she is innocent, nothing will happen to her by
the grace of Devi Maa. If she has sinned, she will be burnt to ashes. Even
otherwise a woman of loose morals has no right to exist.
Before the Panchayat''s bizarre edict could be executed, a city based NGO
intervenes. It advises the Panchayat to desist from doing something that may
subject them to criminal proceedings and go for a medical examination of Kajri
instead to determine if she has sinned or not. Villagers agree and Kajri is
taken for a medical examination to prove her innocence.
As Kajri is forced to seek the certificate of high moral standards from a
doctor, she goes through a living hell.
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