30 May 2010
30 May : “Family Harmony Society® organized a “OPEN COURT” at its weekly NGO meeting on Sunday (23rd May 2010) in Indira Nagar Park to listen the cases of harassed husbands at the hands of violent and aggressive wives.
About Family Harmony Society®: “Family Harmony Society®” FHS is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) promoting the cause of “family harmony” and “gender equality”. It is registered under “The Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960” and is based in Bangalore. We have branches in more than 16 states and in abroad too. We have approximately 14500 members all over India. To know more about us please visit www.family-harmony.org / www.498a.org.in.
“Stories of harassment and torture poured in at the “Open Court” organized to hear the painful and harrowing stories of husbands who claimed are victims of domestic violence at the hands of their arrogant and aggressive wives.” says president of FHS, P Suresh.
He further added that “Those days are gone when wives used to claim victims of domestic violence. Now the time has taken a full circle and the 21st century girl is modern, well educated, working, earning handsome salaries and rubbing shoulder to shoulder with male colleagues.”
M Mahesh who is General Secretary of the NGO and who also heard the cases says “The biggest problem in the society in Indian context is ‘Disintegration of families’ due to alarming rate of increase in divorce.”
He further adds that “A financially and socially independent women nowadays is not ready to accept IN-LAWS in the house and wants to have nuclear family with husband and children alone. This is breaking the century old Indian system of ‘Joint family’ which used to give security and safety to each member of the ‘joint family’ at any point of time in life”
P Suresh says “Today we received a case of a tailor, who earns a monthly salary of 4000/- per month by stitching old cloths and his wife has put a false case of dowry harassment and Domestic Violence. He was arrested and was in jail for 45 days. Also the wife is claiming a monthly of 8000/- rs. If the husband is sitting in jail then how can he earn and feed his family?” asks P Suresh”
“The tailor was in tears, shock and trauma but after meeting other victims and listing to their stories he became little composed as he realized he is not alone who has been falsely implicated by misusing dowry laws and domestic violence laws which were created by parliament with good intentions to help needy women”
Raghevendra Naik who is ‘Public Relation Officer’ of the NGO says that “Laws made by the parliament for the needy women are being heavily misused by the Greedy women and adds that is the reason 98% of the dowry cases filed by the women are proved false in the court of law as the petty matrimonial disputes are being converted into false criminal cases.”
Prasad who came from Mysore to attend the “Special hearing for husbands” says that “My wife was having an extra martial affair with her college mate and when I found she slapped a false dowry case on me. I am earning well and I have not taken a single paise from my in-laws but police won’t listen to me saying, We have to register the case as it is from a women else we will be in problem if your wife complains to higher officer”
With tears flowing down his cheeks Prasad further adds that “No one listen to us as we are husband and in this country it is assumed that only women can be victim of domestic violence. My life is spoiled and in the name of protecting women police has registered a case against my mother also. Is my mother not a Women? Does Women means only young and newly married wife?” He asks these questions and breaks down.
Shivalingaiyya who came all the way from hassan says that “I was looking for a suitable girl for me after I got separated from my first wife amicably and took mutual consent divorce. I came to know about this girl who was a widow. We had initial discussion when we came to know that she was the one who has killed her husband and she was in jail too. So I told them that I am not interested but to by utter shock on a fine morning that girl, her brother, parent and few more rowdies landed at my house early morning at 5 am and forced me to tie thaali around her neck and took pictures and then left”.
“Then after few days they filed a false case of dowry harassment against me. I am thankful to the police that they did honest investigation and gave a report to the court that I am innocent and have been falsely implicated in the case” added Shivalingaiyya who is still unable to come out of the shock and trauma.
P Suresh says that “Shivalingaiyya was probably lucky to get a favorable report from police who did free and fair investigation but that is not true in most of the cases. Police is under pressure from women organization and they do not want to be seen against women and that’s why in most of the cases they file ‘charge-sheet’ against husband and his family and wash their hand saying it is a family problem so go and fight in the court”.
M Mahesh says that “Almost all the High Courts and supreme court have acknowledged that Dowry laws are being heavily misused by women to settle score with the estranged family. Recently Union ministry of home affairs has issued a circular and guidelines to all the state governments to be very careful in registering the dowry cases as they are receiving large number of complaints regarding misuse of dowry and related laws”.
So what is way out? Should the women related laws be scrapped?
“No, there is no need to scrap these laws but there needs to be checks and balances to see that these laws are not misused to settle score with husband and his family. Also these laws should be made ‘gender neutral’ so that those husbands who are victim of domestic violence are also able to lodge complaint against errant wives”. Says P Suresh
He further adds that “Police, Judiciary, Lawyers, Society etc needs to be sensitized about the gravity of the issue. We need to keep in mind that on a false complaint of women, two more women (mother & sister) are arrested by the police. Also police should not use force and harsh language against husband and his family as this proves counter-productive in case the couple wants to stay together again.”
Helpline operated by FHS in Bangalore…
9880141531, P Suresh, President, Family Harmony Society
9731569970, M Mahesh, General Secretary, Family Harmony Society
For more information please contact…
P Suresh, President, M Mahesh, General Secretary,
9880141531 9731569970
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