Monday, August 17, 2009

New counselling centre to solve family disputes

New counselling centre to solve family disputes

CHENNAI: In order to minimise the interference of police in family disputes and to settle them amicably, the city police on Monday opened a family counselling centre at the city police commissioner's office with the co-operation of the social welfare board. The centre, which will work on all days from 10 am to 5 pm, will provide counselling to parties who approach the police with family disputes. It will have three women counsellors from the social welfare department.

Talking to the media after inaugurating the centre today, police commissioner T Rajendran said that a majority of the 60-odd complainants he met on a daily basis were involved in family disputes. "We consider such disputes as a social issue. Most of these issues could be amicably settled without the interference of the police through counselling," CoP said. The police would only interfere when the complainants remain adamant even after the counselling.

Social welfare board chairperson Rokkiah Salma said the interference of the police in minor family disputes was against societal norms. "Most of such issues can be solved through counselling. We have 66 such counselling centres across the state and now we have opened one inside the city commissioner's office," Salma said.

She said the counselling centre was not just for women. Men facing family problems could also approach the centre.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Increase in female births in Delhi

This is heartening news:
Delhi female births rise hailed


India's capital, Delhi, recorded more female than male births during 2008, for the first time in many decades.

Latest government data shows for every 1,000 males, 1,004 girls were born in Delhi in 2008.

Also good to know is the fact that results have been achieved due to activism by some members of medical community. Indeed it seems the right way to bring social change is not merely by enacting laws but by few people starting the change and acting within society.

Dr Dharm Prakash of the Indian Medical Association, which ran a campaign against aborting girl foetuses, welcomed the report.

"The community has responded to our request that girls should be born," he said.

His organisation started a "Say No To Sex Selective Abortions" campaign and urged doctors to refrain from doing so.

"Our own colleagues have stopped especially after the implementation of the law against it," Dr Prakash said.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Polygamy and usage in Muslim community in India

Recent news about lawmakers deliberating on Indian laws related to polygamy and its usage in community:
Bigamy against spirit of islam, says law panel

It is good that lawmakers have finally decided to think about how Indian laws related to polygamy are much behind some other countries which are predominantly Muslim. Given that India has second largest population of Muslims, this is a welcome step to recognize need for just laws which help all members of society.

Rise in divorce cases and feminist response

From news article below, it is reported that divorce cases are on the rise in Bangalore and elsewhere:

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/17764/on-independence-day-harassed-husbands.html

Following are comments in above news from a woman's organisation's representative followed by my commnets:

"There are reasons galore for the rise in divorce cases. Urbanisation and increasing violence against women and financial stability of both husband and wife, to name a few," Dona Fernandes, a member of women rights' group Vimochana, said.


It is such a cliche to say Urbanisation is a cause of higher divorce. Urbanisation and migration lead to nuclear families with family consisting of only husband, wife and children. With in-laws of wife being not being present in the same house, it should actually lead to better adjustment for wife. Then would it not lead to lower divorce rates?

"Today's empowered women are refusing to follow the traditional diktats of Indian marriages. Marriage is the biggest form of displacement for any woman as she has to shift from her home (natural habitat) to her husband's home.

The use of words 'natural habitat' seem so artificial given we are talking about 50% of human species, rather than carnivores or large mammals swimming in deep oceans. Given most women get married and spend more time in marriage than before marriage it is a foregone conclusion that so called 'natural habitat' of 50% or more of human species will be marital home than their pre-marital home. Yet this person insists that women are 'displaced' from their 'natural habitat'. It makes it sound as if an endagered species is being talked about.

"It is the wife who is supposed to adjust. But today's financially strong women are not ready to take undue pressure on their individual existence and thus marital discords are bound to increase," said Fernandes.

Marital discords are bound to increase... yes if feminist organisations have their way! But wait, there is a simpler solution, what if instead of discord both husband and wife chose the path of mutual adjustment! Will that be acceptable to feminists? Please come clear on this since it is a question of 50% or more of human species who you claim to represent.