The New Nation - Internet Edition

ALL kinds of domestic repressions are noted in our society such as tortures of children who were unlucky to be engaged as domestic helps, cruelties against wives by husbands or their relatives for dowry-related reasons, wife beating on other grounds, and the like. Although acid throwing and eve teasing do not fall strictly under the descriptions of domestic violence, the same also mean inhuman behaviour against the tender female victims who are very vulnerable to these forms of attacks and torments.

Television news showed some time ago a very young girl who was horribly burnt from the throwing of acid on her by her husband in the very night of the wedding. It was also reported about a young girl of five or six years of age whom her employer had beaten black and blue and she had to be hospitalised to recover from her injuries and trauma. Cases of torturing the kids purposefully with hot irons and similar weapons by their over angered employers are on and off reported in the press. Newspapers focused some months ago on the tragedy of a young school girl coming from a poor family who committed suicide to find relief from the unending teasing of her by goons on the road sides. As she told her mother before she took her own life, she feared the gangs would abduct her and violate her and her poor parents could do nothing against it.

There are laws to punish the repressors of children and women and the provision for penalties in them have been made tougher for the expected deterrent effects. And yet, the number of barbaric assaults against weak and tender ones -- often in houses of apparently decent folk --seem not to have declined any. What can be the more effective ways of dealing with them? In many cases, law enforcement in these areas is found to be extremely poor. The victims of these incidents are usually poor and come from families which cannot be expected to have the money to take protection of the law. The administration is found to be soft on the perpetrators of such cruelties out of a consideration of the higher social positions of the offenders and their abilities to pay bribes. Thus, remedies involve paying serious attention to these issues from the hierarchy of the law enforcers. They need to be directed very sternly from the highest level to show the utmost duty of care in dealing with the affected ones in such incidents. Greater and regular publicity in the mass media against these abuses may also be of great help in bringing about positive changes in the hearts and minds of the potential offenders.