Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): Reports of domestic violence have increased in Kashmir amid Covid-19 lockdown while theft-related cases have gone down than before, according to police.
Coronavirus has tightened its grip in the whole Jammu and Kashmir Union Territoritory ever since the first Covid case was reported from Srinagar on March 18.
As per figures available with women police station Rambagh in Srinagar, before the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, it would receive normally 20 to 25 calls from women, girls and female students with regard to domestic violence, misbehavior by in-laws, beating and harassment. “We would also get calls regarding molestation and harassment from girls including college and university students,” an official at the police station disclosed.
He, however, said that though education institutions are closed, there is an obvious decline in harassment and molestation related complaints, but over the past one month, the number of complaints regarding domestic violence has gone up. “We are getting more than 30 calls where women complaint beating by husbands, intimidation and harassment by in-laws,” the official said.
He said that majority of calls are made from Srinagar, followed by South Kashmir’s Anantnag, and the north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Former chairperson, Jammu and Kashmir Women’s Commission, Vasundra Patak Masoodi also said that she is getting a lot of calls from women in Kashmir who complain about domestic violence amid Covid-19 lockdown.
She said that she is getting a lot of distress calls from women in Kashmir complaining about domestic violence against them in one way or the other. “As there is lockdown in the valley like other parts of the country, the women have nowhere to go and they also cannot register their complaints anywhere,” she said.
“I try to counsel complainants over phone. What else can I do for now. It helps a little bit as they feel someone is there to listen to them. But this surely indicates a rise in domestic violence cases in Kashmir,” she said.
Shaista (name changed), a teacher by profession said: “I have to give lectures online and my in-laws think I am home now and don’t have to do anything else, my in-laws want me to do every household chore. When I tell them I can’t do everything, I get bashing from my mother and father in law, which adds to my mental trauma.”
Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, Haseeb Mughal told NVI that though there is a stringent lockdown in Srinagar, and elsewhere in Kashmir, it seems that women are not able to report their cases. “But the reports reaching us suggest that there is a spurt in domestic violence-related cases. Women are not able to report all cases,” he said. “At the same time, there is a significant dip in theft and burglary related cases.”
Interestingly, Jammu and Kashmir High Court division bench comprising Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Rajnesh Oswal have recently suggested certain measures to help women and ensure their safety during the lockdown.
Not only in Kashmir, but Domestic violence reports have surged globally in the wake of massive lockdowns imposed to contain the spread of the disease.
Earlier this month, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had also urged governments across the world to include the protection of women in their response to the deadly novel coronavirus pandemic.
