Vipanchika, Athulya and who next?

At last, even the apex court of India dropped its silence over the burgeoning cases of attacks against women in the country. Justices Suryakant and Joymalya Bagchi, citing the incident of a 15-year-old girl being set on fire by three men in Odisha, expressed shame and shock in equal measure. The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association, seeking to ensure a safe living environment for women, children and transgender.

The court was in nearly disbelief over such brute violence happening in these contemporary times and demanded that steps be taken to empower school students, domestic workers, and children in rural areas. Data from a survey conducted by the National Family Health Service suggests that 29 per cent of women in India have experienced physical, sexual or emotional violence from their partners. The survey was conducted among women between the ages of 18 and 49. There is a daily news report in the newspapers that confirms that most women are victims of sexual assault and violence from their partners. In some cases, even after knowing about the brutal abuse, there is a tendency in society among parents to force their daughters to endure it anyway, in the hope that things will eventually get sorted out.

Marriage is a sacred concept. But that doesn't mean you have to endure physical violence to sustain or protect it from breaking apart. In developed countries, laws exist that can send an accused behind bars immediately if he is proven guilty of torturing or physically harming his spouse. The law alone doesn't make those countries free from such violence; however, the people there are more aware of the consequences and hence behave uprightly.

In India, chauvinism still holds support, as many believe it is a duty of a husband to slap his wife if needed. A new law would not ensure that this archaic practice comes to an end. The government and social organisations should create mechanisms to support and protect women who feel that their marriage is unsafe. More emphasis should also be placed on education that instils the belief that women should be treated with equal consideration.

The number of women committing suicide and being murdered due to the breakdown of family relationships is showing a spike in the nation. The recent loss of life of Keralites Vipanchika and Athulya vindicates the claim. Despite knowing the vile nature of their partners, many women lack the guts to respond as they fear society to turn against them, as many still consider it a core value of a wife to endure the struggles in a marriage to carve out a strong family. Despite the recent progress made in uplifting the lives of vulnerable women and making education pivotal for them, the slew of shocking deaths in recent times has yet again opened the flaws associated with the archaic norms espoused in society. The loss of innocent lives is a shame, nonetheless.