A young housewife's tale of domestic violence
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, December 09 2014: Like many other women in Manipur, ****** is also a young housewife who has faced the trauma of domestic violence at the hands of her abusive husband and father-in-law.

Talking to media persons during a programme organized by Women Action for Development (WAD) as part of the ongoing International Fortnight Observation Protesting Violence Against Women today, ****** (27), wife of Noren of Heirok ******, ******, shared her agony and trauma she has faced at the hands of her husband Noren and father-in-law Ibohal.

****** said that her husband works as a salesman in Imphal while her father-in-law is a peon at State Vigilance Department.

She had love-marriage with Noren on April 28, 2011 .

After some time, her in-law's family shifted to a larger homestead at Heirok Part-I.She even contributed Rs.1,30,000 in buying the new homestead by selling off her jewelleries and furniture.

But, things became worse after her husband and father-in-law began to ill-treat her saying "she was uneducated, ugly and short".

She was even fed rice mixed with sand and pebbles by her husband.

She was often beaten black and blue by her husband whenever she brought up any family issue for discussion.

Her husband repeatedly threatened to kill her.

With tears all around her eyes, ****** further narrated that her father-in-law often made sexual advances whenever her husband was not present in the house.

He (father-in-law) even told her that he wanted her as his wife as his son was no more interested in her.

Whenever she complained to her husband about her father-in-law's conduct, he would simply beat up her saying that she was trying to defame his father.

She has a three-year-old son and another of just three months.

She has been tortured by her husband and father-in-law beyond all limits and now she fears living with them.

****** has made several complaints to the police, but so far no action has been taken against her husband and father-in-law.

She wants strict punishment for her husband and father-in-law and also adequate compensation from her in-laws for raising her two sons.

Ambra Takhelchangbam of WAD said that the State machineries should be sensitized and made proactive to stop rising crime and violence against women in the State.

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