Implementing demonetisation on the night of November 8 saw a sudden rise in cases of domestic violence over the next few weeks as men discovered that their wives had saved money without their knowledge, an analysis of complaints at the country’s first One Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) in Bhopal has revealed as per Express reports.
“Husbands threatened their wives, beat them and warned them of consequences like jail terms because they felt a loss of control over their wives,’’
said Sarika Sinha, regional director of Action Aid, an NGO that runs the OSCC “Gauravi”, in collaboration with the Public Health and Family Welfare department of the Madhya Pradesh government.
“The wives used to save money in the past, too, but it never came to light. Overnight, they became criminals in the eyes of their husbands,’’
added Sinha.
To add on as an evidentce, the toll-free number for women assistance recieved over 1,200 calls in November from women out of which 230 needed counselling. This toll is ususally was only limited to 50 calls per month. Among those counselled, about 50 per cent were victims of domestic violence from their husbands.
Reffering a spwcific case of a 27-year-old with 7 children, was driven out of her own home on the 9th of November when her husband figured that she had Rs, 4.500 with her unexchanged.
“The victim and her husband were provided counselling. He heard us out but is yet to change his mind. She is still at her mother’s place. The husband used to harass her before, too, but never went to the extent of throwing her out,’’
said Saini.
“In many cases, husbands objected to the wives having saved money without their knowledge. Also, they did not return the exchanged currency to their wives,”
Saini added.
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