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Her Inheritance Rights Through the Self-Land Support Centre (Swabhoomi Kendra)

In Bhavnagar district, a women-led land rights initiative works across multiple villages to support marginalized women in understanding and claiming legal ownership of land. Through regular group meetings and legal awareness sessions, women are informed about inheritance laws and their rights as daughters. These forums also help identify long-pending land disputes faced by widows and elderly women who often lack access to legal guidance and institutional support.

 

Lakshmiben Nathabhai Siyal, a 79-year-old widow, shared her struggle during one such meeting. Originally from Chanch village and currently residing in the Nutan Nagar area, she has spent years seeking her rightful share in her parental land—eight bighas left behind by her late father. Despite repeated visits to court over 15 years and significant financial loss, her brothers had refused to recognize her legal claim as a daughter. With limited income from agricultural labour and domestic work carried out by her daughter, the case had remained unresolved for decades.

 

Through the Self-Land Support Centre, Lakshmiben’s case was formally registered and taken through a complete legal process, including documentation, affidavits, notarisation, family lineage verification, and online land record entry. The process faced strong resistance from male relatives, but sustained legal follow-up and dialogue with local officials and legal practitioners helped overcome these challenges. Today, Lakshmiben’s name has been officially recorded in the land records along with other legal heirs. For her, the outcome is more than legal recognition—it is long-denied dignity, security, and justice finally achieved.