This year, 70 pc cases in women commission relate to domestic violence, but only three in police files

The reports of Punjabi women abandoned by NRI husbands and domestic violence have caused concern not only in India, but also in the United Kingdom and Canada. But women in Punjab are still to wake up to their rights.

As per Punjab Police records of this year till August, only three cases of domestic violence — one in August and two in February— were registered under the Domestic Violence Act, while the number of complaints against NRI husbands was 14. This despite that fact that 70 per cent of the cases reported in the Punjab State Women’s Commission (PSWC) are related to domestic violence. Commission chairperson Gurdev Kaur Sangha said, “In most of the cases, the problem either starts with domestic violence or is the proverbial last straw that brings a woman to the commission.”

This clearly indicates lack of awareness among Punjabi women. A scheme of the Punjab State Social Welfare Board also testifies to the fact. Sources said a helpline (1092) for women in distress started by the board in 2003 gets very few complaints of domestic violence.

A couple of months ago, while asking Chief Secretary S C Agarwal to order a high-level probe into offences against women, PSWC Principal Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal stated in a letter, “The Domestic Violence Act is already operational, but such insensitivity to the cause of women is baffling.”

Agarwal told The Indian Express that he has forwarded the letter to the department concerned. A senior official in the women and child development department — entrusted with the task of creating awareness and responsible for the implementation of the Act — said a meeting would soon be convened on the issue.

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