But the tourist state of Rajasthan, better known for its palaces and forts, has a particularly horrifying track record. In the late 1980s, a young widow jumped on to her husband s funeral pyre following the banned ritual of sati, triggering a furious debate over whether she had been drugged and pushed. Under the centuries-old ritual, a widow is supposed to immolate herself on her husband s funeral pyre. It was a tradition started in medieval times to prevent wives of slain warriors falling into enemy hands. There are also continued reports of infant girls being smothered to death by traditional families who consider girls a burden because of the huge dowries they must pay for them.
Government officials say the main reason for such crimes in the state is low literacy.
According to the last 1991 census, literacy was 38.55 percent. Literacy among women was particularly poor, at 20.44 percent it was the lowest in the country and half the national rate of 39.29 percent. Illiteracy is a major cause of ills against women in Rajasthan. Though women s organizations are active in Rajasthan, moves to abolish virginity tests have yet to take off. Mevar, who dared to file a police complaint, is an exception among Sansi women.