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The Observer An IIJNM publication
Many Bengaluru weavers are yet to get direct benefit transfer from the state government | P 2
Vol. 21, Issue 2
https://twitter.com/ observer_weekly Epaper: https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Back pain, other aches becoming an issue during pandemic for people working from home | P 3
Most women in Karnataka who face violence by their husbands don’t complain to the cops
Women suffer spousal violence in silence NFHS report shows massive rise in cases By Saumyangi Yadav
D
espite a huge increase in spousal violence cases in Karnataka, most cases go unreported. According to the latest National Family and Health Survey (NHFS), cases of domestic violence against women have doubled in Karnataka since 2016. About 20 per cent of married women faced violence from their husbands in 2015-16; that percentage increased to 44.4 per cent in 2019-20. Despite this, the crime rate for domestic violence has decreased in Karnataka from 8.3 in 2016 to 7.6 in 2019 as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. This suggests that many women are reluctant to file police complaints against their spouses. The crime rate has further decreased to 6.3 in 2020.
A large number of domestic violence and harassment cases were reported during the lockdown last year | Credit: Apeksha Priya Somya Dixit, a victim of domestic violence, informed The Observer: “I got married when I was 19. I had never met him or his family prior to my wedding. I was really young and hadn’t even completed my degree yet. At that age, I did not know whom to tell.”
She went through physical and mental torture for several years. She also suffered a miscarriage owing to domestic abuse. Asked why she never reported the matter to the police, she said, “As a girl, I was taught that women are supposed to make compromises in
a marital relationship. Rishtey to nibhane hi hote hain (one has to maintain relationships).” She filed for a divorce after suffering from a paralytic attack because of increasing stress and trauma. But she never filed a police complaint against her husband. Usha, a sub-inspector at the Women’s Police Station, Basavanagudi, said,: “On an average month, a single police division in Karnataka gets 10 to 15 cases of domestic violence.” During the lockdown last year, a large number of cases of domestic violence and harassment were reported. Statistics show that an increasing number of women suffer spousal violence in silence. Sumithra Sridhar, a lead relationship and couples therapist in Bengaluru, said: “Cases like these arise from patriarchy and stigma. To understand this issue, we have to remove our privileged lens. Even today, women are bound by societal rules. They are taught that they have to stay in a marriage even if they are suffering.” Often women fear reporting their husbands because of a lack of financial independence.
Namma commuters bid adieu to Covid norms
Few wear masks; crowding is rampant on trains By Tina Freese
T
he doors will open on the left,” said the announcement, and a mob of commuters rushed in and out of the Metro. They stood in unison with blank faces staring into the abyss. They did unconscious activities like giving each other accidental embraces and removing masks to breathe in a gulp of air. As the door opened on the left again a woman without wearing a mask entered the train scanning the seats. Her face brightened as she saw a few vacant seats that were marked “Do not sit”. The Observer saw another woman sitting without a mask talking to a fellow passenger sitting right next to her. Some com-
A fully packed metro with no social distancing | Credit: Tina Freese muters removed their masks to reutter the words that were earlier muffled by their masks.
The distance of six feet as mandated by the state goverment inside Metro trains is a myth.
As guards on the platform whistled, The Observer saw one of them asking a passenger to pull up the mask resting on his chin. A saffron-clad sadhu passed him without a mask on Flouting of Covid norms is more common at stations which are in the heart of Bengaluru. Social distancing increases as the trains moved towards the farther ends of either line. Ravi Prakash, Senior Public Relations Manager of the Bangalore Metro Rail Commission Ltd (BMRCL), said: “We check every passenger through the scanner, their temperature and whether they are wearing a mask.is also checked. At the stations, there are guards to ensure that people follow Covid norms, but inside the Metro it is difficult. It should be the passengers’ call; they should ensure they maintain distance. No one can push you ... to maintain distance.” Continued on page 3
Anshul Girdhar, a research scholar in psychology, explained,: “There are several psychological as well as social aspects behind the fact that women are reluctant to report. The legal procedure is often very complicated and timeconsuming. A lot of women do not want to invest so much, especially when there is no social support from their family and in-laws.” There is a lack of awareness, especially among rural women. Women are often not aware of the laws against domestic violence. They are unaware about the incentives and provisions provided by the government for the victims, Girdhar added. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, protects women from any kind of assault or violence, be it physical or mental, occurring within their homes. Section 498A of the IPC (husband or any relative of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) considers it a criminal and non-bailable offence. A person who is convicted under this section can get up to three years of jail. saumyangi.y@iijnm.org
News briefs Sidhu resigns as Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday resigned as the chief of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. In a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Sidhu, however, said he will continue to serve the party. Sidhu had taken over as the state party chief this July.
Japan set to lift all Covid emergency measures Japan is set to lift all coronavirus emergency measures when they expire later this week. Since the infections are now slowing down and the nation is trying to reactivate its economy.
India beat Spain in round 2 of women’s chess The Indian team secured its first win in the FIDE World Women''s Team Chess Championship by beating Spain 2.5-1.5 in the second pool match here.