Domestic violence: Lockdown is becoming hell for women

The rising cases of domestic violence has shaken the administration

Sanjana Tiwari

Ground Report | New Delhi: Since the covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown came into force in 2021, India had witnessed a large increase in domestic violence cases being reported. While there was a decline in the number of domestic violence cases when the lockdown was relaxed in 2021, cases are on the rise again in the wake of the recent curbs. In an effort to tackle the issue, the administration has launched domestic conflict resolution centers across the country.

According to the related department official, the month of April 2021, had 114 cases of domestic violence reported. With the nationwide covid 19 lockdowns imposed later the same month, India saw many more cases being reported. In may 2021, 203 domestic violence cases were reported, increasing to 300. It later shot up to over 600 violence cases in June 2021.

Similarly, where 396 cases of cybercrime were reported earlier, 587 complaints were received later. But the positive thing was that the cases of dowry harassment decreased. According to the Women's commission, there has been a decline in dowry harassment cases during the lockdown. In the 25 days before the lockdown, 44 complaints related to dowry were received.

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Whereas 37 cases were reported during the lockdown. Similarly, 25 cases of molestation were reported in the first 25 days while 15 complaints were received during the lockdown. But do these figures tell the reality? There is doubt about it. Because in the lockdown where the person is banned from going out, he is not able to even write his complaint so that the guilty person can be curbed.

According to the National Commission for Women data, during the lockdown 69 cases of domestic violence, 77 cases of living with dignity, 15 cases of harassment of married women, two cases of dowry deaths, 13 cases of rape or attempt to rape have been registered. A maximum of 90 complaints of domestic violence and harassment have come from Uttar Pradesh.

These figures are telling in themselves that there has been an increase in the cases of domestic violence during the lockdown. The reason for this can also be understood. The victim is forced to live with the person who committed the violence during the lockdown. She cannot go out and she is told that even if she wants to go to her maternal uncle or any other relative's place, then she will be kept in quarantine for fourteen days by the administration at some other place before reaching there.

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In such a situation, she thinks it better to tolerate domestic violence. In this regard, I also talked to some housewives around, in relation to which they said that the government should behave differently in this regard. If there is a woman or a young woman suffering from domestic violence and she wants to go to her maternal home or any other relative, then she needs to be helped by the administration. If that woman is kept in quarantine instead of her desired place, then for her it will be more than domestic violence. and he may become mentally deranged or take some wrong step.

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