Dr. Shahid Amin

Domestic violence is any behavior the purpose of which is to gain power and control over a spouse, partner or intimate family member. Many types of abuse are included in the definition of domestic violence like physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, economic abuse, psychological abuse, threats, stalking and cyber stalking etc. The society has been gripped badly by this evil. Our sisters, daughters and mothers are mostly the sufferers and are always seen crying for justice.
How humans on Earth can be cruel and are involved in this evil of domestic violence? It’s unfortunate that we are giving birth to the societies which are more selfish and greedy in nature. There is a change needed in the mindset of the people in our society. When our families receive the daughter in laws, they are never given that welcome and hence treated differently. They are always treated as daughter in laws not our own daughters. They are expected to behave and talk in limits. They can’t move and act freely. We feel proud when our daughters have control over their household but when the daughters in laws have a control over their household, and then it becomes hard to digest. There are baseless justifications and they challenge the concept of moral values and purity in our character.
Domestic abuse shatters lives & tears families apart. Our societies must treat sisters and daughters with respect and honor. They are the true blessings to this world. They make our lives peaceful and entertaining and make this world lively and meaningful. We don’t have to give any space to it and have to show full commitment to tackle this horrific crime. We must encourage our sisters and daughters to speak loudly against the domestic violence. We have to empower them to speak louder. They must not tolerate the offenders for long. The world will not end for them if their relationships and understandings didn’t go long and fail but their lives have to be treated as precious. There is no wrong if our sisters and daughters come back to our families after the failed relationships. There is no wrong in seeking their divorce and welcome them back to our families. It is better than to see them alive rather than force them to bear the tortures for long. We need to welcome them and boost their confidence rather than curse them to return back to their parents’ home.
The cases of domestic violence must be exposed as early as possible. When the issues are not given timely treatments may lead to some worse outcomes. The police and administration must not go easy in the cases of domestic violence and be harsh with the culprits. Most of the efforts from government, police and other agencies have gone into combating robbery, other type of violence and drug dealing etc. But dealing with domestic violence should also be given a high priority. There must be a social boycott against those who are greedy and involved in this evil. Huge efforts are needed to educate the community. Our schools, health care, workplaces etc. should take big initiatives in terms of campaigns against the domestic violence. The social organizations must highly condemn the brutal acts and be active and alert against the domestic violence crimes. At individual levels we have to be the change makers in our community. If such crimes are not taken seriously, our existence as a better society will collapse.
(Dr. Shahid Amin is Assistant Professor, ITM University Gwalior and Youth Ambassador, International Youth Society. He can be reached at [email protected])

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