Adil Lateef
SRINAGAR, July 3: In a worrying trend, the conservative Kashmir society is witnessing a surge in crime against women which include domestic violence and molestation.
The data reveals almost twice number of cruelty cases has been registered in the first quarter of this year as compared to last year at valley’s lone Women’s Police Station in Rambagh here. While 42 cases were registered in entire 2014, this year 33 cases have been registered in first six months only.
The police station received 1006 complaints of violence against women since 2013, the data maintained by the police station reveals.
“There is an increase in crime against women. The complaints we receive everyday pertain to domestic violence, harassment, property and family dispute and custody. The women are subjected to mental as well as physical torture,” Station House Officer (SHO) of the women’s police station, Gulshana Akhtar, told Excelsior.
“As far as domestic violence is considered, the women are tortured for number of reasons,” Gulshana said, adding: “they include dowry, extra-marital affairs and giving birth to girl child.” The woman police officer said that not only husbands but in-laws too are behind violence against women.
Alarmed by the increasing crimes against women, separatist leader and valley’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, termed it a cause of worry. He expressed concern over the cases where women are forced to take extreme steps.
The data maintained by Crime Branch suggests that Kashmir valley is ahead of Jammu in the incidents of crimes against women. As per the data, a total of 4362 case of crimes against women were registered in year 2013 and 2014 in the valley while 1088 cases were reported in Jammu in two years. They include the cases of rape, harassment, cruelty, kidnapping, molestation, eve-teasing and trafficking.
The chairperson of State Commission for Women, Nayeema Ahmad Mehjoor, said the Commission had previously received 5511 complaints of domestic violence and harassment.
“Every day we are receiving around 10 complaints of crimes against women,” she said, adding: “Besides these complaints, I receive emails and phone calls from girls who complain of harassment in offices and buses.”
A police official said many domestic violence victims in rural as well as urban areas of the valley remain silent and do not register complaints with police.
Even as police occasionally patrol coaching centre hubs of the city which include Parraypora, Hyderpora, Baghat and Hawal but several girls complain that they are often subjected to eve teasing.
Earlier this year, a female law student was attacked by some persons with acid in the outskirts of city’s downtown area.
Dr Khursheed-ul-Islam, sociologist, said that the crimes against women are not new phenomenon and it has been going on since ages.
He blames “superiority complex” among men for the crimes against women. “As far as Kashmir is concerned, though we claim to be religious but practically we are away from humanity and religion”, he said. “We should recognize and accept a woman’s rights, duties and dignity,” he added.
The chairperson of the Women’s commission, said that the “attitude of the men towards women has to be changed”. “Within given parameters, men have to tell the women that she is part and parcel of every decision making… Men should not thrust decision and resort to violence against women. They should respect and honor the women,” she said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel