Two years on, stir against DV Act-Delhi-Cities-The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Swarooplata today is a broken woman. Accused of domestic violence by her daughter-in-law, the elderly woman has nowhere to call home. Her son Gaurav too is in deep trouble. Charged with violence by his wife, he is bankrupt after paying compensation running into lakhs of rupees to his spouse. "I don't know where my son is today. My daughter-in-law filed a case against me and my son under the Domestic Violence Act and I had to leave the house. Today I don't have a roof over my head," Swarooplata cried.

Shobhit Kapoor (33) was a senior manager with an IT firm before being booked under the Domestic Violence Act by his wife. His life now revolves around numerous court hearings. He has not only lost his job, he is also denied access to his two-and-half-year-old son who suffers from a kidney ailment. Though he pays maintenance to his wife for his son, he claims the child is not getting the medical treatment he requires.

Swarooplata and Shobhit were among a group of people who demonstrated at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, demanding an amendment to remove "discriminatory" provisions in the Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act. The protesters claimed the present law had many loopholes and unleashed "legal terrorism" on those at the receiving end.

Assembled under the banner of Gender Human Rights Society (GHRS), Mothers and Sisters Organisation (MASI), Save Family Foundation and other NGOs, the second anniversary of the enactment of the Domestic Violence Act was described as a Black Day by the protesters, who submitted a memorandum to the government, seeking a review of the law.

Said Swarup Sarkar, coordinator, Save Family Foundation: "The DV Act should be replaced by a more gender-neutral legislation and equal protection should be provided to men and women against physical, emotional, verbal and economic abuse."

(Names of alleged victims have been changed)

Members of Save Family Foundation and NGOs hold a dharna to protest against the misuse of women protection laws. They demand gender neutrality of Domestic Violence Act at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Sunday.
Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui

Further for more news :

• 2nd Anniversary of Domestic Violence Act:Black Day

Assembled under the banner of Gender Human Rights Society (GHRS), Mothers and Sisters Organisation (MASI), Save Family Foundation and other NGOs, who observed second anniversary of enactment of DVA as 'Black Day', protesters also submitted a memorandum to the government seeking a review of the law.

"The provision that has been the most misused is Section 19 of the Act that allows a woman, who claims to be victim of domestic violence, to evict her husband's house of his family members," said Sandeep Bhartia, President of GHRS.

"It has led to several cases when senior citizens have been thrown out of their homes which they built out of their life's savings, with nowhere to go," he added.

Besides, the issues of unlimited compensation, provision of appointing only women activists as service providers or protection officers and that of multiple maintenance cases were also highlighted as being loaded against the husband and his family.

The clauses, along with the fact that the law treats an accused "guilty until proven innocent" have unleashed "legal terrorism" against the accused elders and women.

"The law is heavily loaded in favour of the wife and leads to victimisation of women from the husband's family, who are often put behind bars for indefinite periods," said Preeti Chauhan of NGO the All India Forgotten Women.

"Equal protection should be provided to men and women against physical, emotional and economic abuse," she added.

The law has also come in for criticism from the Supreme Court, which said in a judgement that some of its provisions were "clumsily drafted," said Bhartia.

Disclimer :This is totally writer personnel Views only. You may have different opinion. The name and place changed to protect the Persons Identity.