Helpline for victims of Dowry Act misuse

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20091012/punjab.htm#8
A group of activists, claiming to be victims of the misuse of the Dowry Act have started a helpline to assist other victims against what they call ‘‘legal terrorism”.

There has been a debate and arguments against the misuse or overuse of the Dowry Act in the recent past, but now this group has come out on the streets and launched a campaign seeking amendments in the Act that was being ‘‘misused to terrorise innocent husbands, their mothers, sisters and even children.’’

The activists of the Swatantra Aawaaz Welfare organisation under their campaign-Adhoora Sach Jaano (know the true side also) have got together and launched a massive programme to help the victims of misuse of Dowry.

Available on 24-hour helpline-96463-89140 and 93169-29321, the activists have already started helping the victims of the Dowry Act, who never demanded dowry but were implicated, as their marriages could not be a success. ‘‘As many as 1.25 lakh women of all ages (from elderly to teenagers) were put behind bars after couples could not strike chords. What was their fault? We are aiming to help all similar victims come out of this crisis. They suffer without any of their fault as they are also booked by the women who want to teach a lesson to their in-laws family, ’’ said Gaurav Saini, a Mohali-based activist.

Stating that already 1 lakh youths from all over India, including activists of 50 NGOs and 40 chapters of the Save Indian Family Foundation have got together, Gaurav said they were campaigning massively and demanding that the Section 489-A should be made bailable and a non-cognisable offense. Besides, they also demanded that the Domestic Violence Act too should be made gender-neutral.

He said they were counselling many victims, who were suffering from mental ailments after their sisters, mothers and other female relatives were made to remain in jail amidst criminals.

Amend domestic violence act to plug its misuse against men, demands NGO

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/amend-domestic-violence-act-to-plug-its-misuse-against-men-demands-ngo/527991/

Swatantra Awaz Welfare Organization, a non-government organisation, has demanded amendments in Domestic Violence Act. The NGO along with All-India Rational Activists will organise a protest dharna in Chandigarh on October 25, on the anniversary of inception of Domestic Violence Act.

Disclosing this here today, Amandeep Singh, president of Swatantra Awaz Welfare Organisation, said, “Due to lack of social support and legal protection, many male victims of domestic abuse are taking their lives everyday. False cases are severely hampering personal and professional lives of the most productive section of the Indian population. The so-called “women protection” laws are in fact causing more harm than good to women. In every false case, at least two women, a mother-in-law and a sister-in-law are accused. Minor girls, pregnant women, married and unmarried sisters, ailing mothers and even aged grandmothers have been sent behind the bars based on mere allegations and subjected to long-drawn trials before being declared innocent. Even children are not being spared from the suffering. In case of marital disputes, children are denied access to their fathers, causing great pain to the fathers and children.”

पुरुष भी हैं घरेलू हिंसा का शिकार

लुधियाना . स्वतंत्र आवाज वेलफेयर आग्रेनाइजेशन ने दहेज व घरेलू हिंसा कानून के दुरुपयोग के मसले उठाए है। आग्रेनाइजेशन के अनुसार पिछले पांच वर्षो के दौरान देश में दहेज प्रताड़ना के मात्र दो प्रतिशत मामले ही साबित हो पाए हैं। साफ जाहिर है कि इस कानून का दुरुपयोग रहा है। पुरुष भी घरेलू हिंसा का शिकार हो रहे हैं, लेकिन विडंबना है कि कानून उनकी इस शिकायत पर गौर नहीं कर रहा है।

अगर एक महिला अपने पति या ससुरालियों के खिलाफ थाने में दहेज उत्पीड़न की झूठी शिकायत भी दे देती है, तो पुलिस बिना जांच उस पूरे परिवार को उठा लाती है। बिना कसूर परिवार को जेल में रहना पड़ता है। महिला सशक्तिकरण के लिए सरकारें काम कर रही हैं और कानून भी महिलाओं के हक में बनाए गए हैं, लेकिन दहेज उत्पीड़न में वृद्ध महिलाएं व अविवाहित लड़कियां भी कष्ट झेलती हैं। ऐसे कई केस हैं जब रंजिशन दर्ज कराए मामलों में किशोर सदस्यों को भी जेल में धकेल दिया जाता है।

आग्रेनाइजेशन के सदस्य गौरव सैनी के अनुसार वह संसद को इस बारे में ज्ञापन भेज कर संशोधन के लिए आग्रह करेंगे। गौरव सैनी के मुताबिक पुलिस ऐसे मामलों को दर्ज करने में कोई जल्दबाजी दिखाए बिना पूरी जांच के बाद केस दर्ज करे। दफा 498—ए को जमानत योग्य बनाया जाए। वह पंजाब में करीब 500 परिवारों के केसों का ब्यौरा एकत्रित कर चुके हैं। उन्होंने पीड़ित परिवारों के लिए हेल्प लाइन भी जारी की है।