Days before, a middle aged woman donned in black Abaya appeared before the media at press colony in Srinagar along with her three children. The woman was seeking an intervention from the government to resettle her life with her estranged husband.
Apparently the woman seemed more concerned for her children and their future. She narrated a disturbing tale how her husband ditched her after fathering 3 children and also pushed them out of his home. As she tried to go back after so many years, he disallowed them all and put the future of these children in jeopardy.
This attracted the attention of people and after the video went viral on social media, she received sympathies and some people even volunteered to support her financially.
However, what actually is underlying the causes and the discord in the relationship is unknown and merits investigation.
On the other hand, the domestic violence in our society is as real as the sun rises from the east. We are perpetually sitting in a denial mode and count ourselves collectively among the descendants of saints and peers. Hundreds of women suffer this ordeal in the hands of in-laws and husbands.
Their lives have been made difficult. In the last few years, some horror stories of domestic violence were too hard to digest in which the victim was either burnt alive or tortured to death. One such incident happened last year in Pattan area where a daughter in law was tortured to death.
Similar or crueler incidents took place in South Kashmir and in Srinagar where the victims were burnt down after either they had failed to deliver the desired dowry or were reluctant to obey the family orders.
Certain initiatives of setting up separate police stations for women is a welcome step to tackle crime but that is not everything.
It demands various practical measures where not only the harassment of women is stopped but reunion is also possible. In many of the cases, what has affected these relationships is misunderstanding between the couple and in some cases, the ultra conservative approach is also majorly responsible.
Alongside reinforcing of writ of law, counseling centres, social habitats can play a greater role. However, the government and law enforcing agencies must act cautiously since male harassment by the wife is also reported.
No one should suffer; rather we need to build a system in which teaching of tolerance, respect and love is taught to these couples since the discord and dispute between marital couples affect generations.
