Sometime serious incidents make us smile.. Seriously telling you.. It actully happened during another Television project I had been working for.. My focus was to get the real stories based on The Invisible Crime.. Means physical and sexual violence.. It's a constant feature in women’s lives around the world..I was looking for cases such as domestic violence, dowry deaths, torture, molestation, rape, sexual harassment etc.. In our society finding a real story is not a task but a story with a presentable face, extrovert nature, willing to face the camera and share the experience, kind of needs make our job little difficult.. Since the silence around these acts of violence have not generated enough debate and statistical data so my job became a bit tough..
For weeks I had worked rigorously.. I met many victims, their families and sometime the culprit too.. While meeting the battered women and listening their stories, my immediate question was why did she tolerate the beatings so long? Why did she not retaliate of seek help from law?? The stories and experiences were different from person to person but the answer I got from each one of them was same.. “How one can seek the justice within the family??
Anyways I selected two women with almost same experiences, circumstances and sufferings.. The differences were their academic, social and financial background and the remedies they had tried to get over..
Let’s meet Smita first, a commerce degree holder and wife of a class one government employee.. Smita was a victim of domestic violence by her husband.. for past 6 years she been loyal n fully devoted to her husband, in-laws and her two kids.. She left her bank job because it was against the prestige of her in laws.. While recounting the incidents and showing me the bruises and other beating marks of her body, she was crying bitterly.. I was thinking if her husband is a human being then what is the definition of a wild animal?? I consoled her.. made her calm and politely asked her Why does she not take any action or look for help of her in-laws, parents, police or law?? And her reply was “her in-laws says it’s their private matter, and no one would accept her if she will raise her voice against her husband.. Means what?? Her silence is giving a sanction to her husband’s cruel and pitiless behaviour..
Now let’s meet up another victim Sudha, no academic background, lives in a slum, working as a maid.. She is a wife, a mother and was a victim of domestic violence too.. Some 8 years ago Sudha married to a Satish, who earns Rs.3000/- a month.. and spend Rs.2000 in gambling, wine and cigarettes.. For 5 years Sudha has also been abused physically but one fine day she got even.. Sudha made me smile when she said “sasura sharab pee ke, dekhne gaya tha Lage raho Munna Bhai, aur wapis aake mujhe ek thapad maar ke bola, gandhiji ne kaha hai jab koi ek gaal par thapd mare to dusara gaal aage karna chahiye, chal tu bhi apna dusra gaal aage kar, dusara thapad khane keliye, mai chup rahi to wo laat-ghuse pe uttar aaya, phir maine bhi uski Gandhigiri ka jawab apni jhadugiri se diya, KHUB PITA USKO JHADU SE, aisa roya ki agle 3 din tak uske ansu nahi ruke.. wo din aur aaj ka din uski himmat nahi hoti meri taraf aankh uthane ki..”
Amazing woman.. I must say.. I was laughing and thinking about my viewer’s reaction and about the other victims who think their Silence is the only way of surviving in this male dominating society. Please wake up for the sake of our future generation.. The Silence against Invisible Crime is not our legacy.. Please do not hand it over to the next generation..
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