Modi cash crisis sparks surge in wife battering

[Cpt. Rishwat]

For years, Suneeta had worked in a shop in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Married young, the 27-year-old had learnt to keep a little of her salary from her husband each month, savings that helped to tide her and her seven children over as finances grew increasingly strained.

Then, on November 8, her scheme collapsed. Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, announced that he was scrapping the country’s two largest banknotes, for 1,000 (£12) and 500 rupees, in a crackdown on tax evasion. Overnight, the nation’s savings, stashed away in cash out of sight of the taxman, were rendered worthless until they were exchanged for ready currency.

For Suneeta (not her real name), and millions of women like her, the announcement was devastating. As the nation lined up outside banks to turn in their old notes, women who had saved in secret were forced to confess to husbands that they had hidden money from them.

Suneeta’s husband beat her, confiscated the 4,500 rupees (£54) she had saved in old notes and flung her and her children out of the house.

Many other women have suffered a similar fate. Women’s groups across central and northern India have reported a surge in domestic violence during the early days of the tax crackdown. One helpline received double the usual number of calls during November. Many women reported being beaten. Some were raped.

Some who were particularly brave or badly treated have arrived at shelters seeking aid. Suneeta is now receiving counselling and is being encouraged to return to her husband.

Most women, though, simply endured the violence and loss of their savings. Only now is news of their abuse trickling out in testimony to activists and aid workers.

“We have been meeting women in slums and poor neighbourhoods of Delhi,” Maya John, who runs a refuge, said. “Many complained of beatings from male relatives at that time.”

Abha Bhaiya, founder of Jagori, a women’s group, recently met victims in the northeastern state of Bihar. “Women were keeping small amounts from their husbands because they were alcoholics or just to keep things running,” she said. “The men demanded it, exchanged it and never gave it back.

“We have spoken to women who were threatened, beaten up, but had to hand the money over in case it became invalid.”

Alcoholism is rife across India and as men spend most of their pay packets on drink, their wives often find themselves the main breadwinner. Fewer than half of all Indians have bank accounts and the ratio among women, particularly in poor and rural communities, is tiny.

The government appears unwilling to investigate the reports and some campaigners claim that officials have tried to suppress news of the violence. A spokesman for the ministry of women and child development said that it had “received no such cases or information” of a rise in abuse.

Mr Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is fighting a vital election in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with more than 200 million people. The vote is effectively a referendum on the cash crisis and the prime minister himself, with victory seen as crucial to his hopes of re-election at national polls in 2019.

The issue also underscores the inadequacy of services for women throughout India. Successive governments have failed to overhaul a system that relies heavily on local charities and volunteers to provide them with refuge, counselling and legal support.

Amid the outcry that followed the fatal gang rape of a student in Delhi in 2012, a fund of 30 billion rupees (£360 million) was established to finance women’s projects, aiming to build a crisis centre in each of India’s 36 states and territories. So far, five have been established.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world/modi-cash-crisis-sparks-surge-in-wife-battering-70bfnhq92

One day hopefully the social programmes will keep pace with the scientific ones in India. They are much needed to be perceived as an enlightened nation.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

We have a long way to go reg social development.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

We have a long way to go reg social development.

Agreed. In the western world these programmes developed alongside material advancement over a period of time, I don't know why India has lagged behind. Possibly because the change of pace is coming much quicker due to globalisation.

 

[Madplayer]

Agreed. In the western world these programmes developed alongside material advancement over a period of time, I don't know why India has lagged behind. Possibly because the change of pace is coming much quicker due to globalisation.

True. Its cultural lag.

 

[Swanny]

This is what happens when you lack a proper left leaning party. No one to speak for women's rights, gay rights, minorities, etc. Also we need proper changes in our education system regarding the above.

 

[DW44]

7 children at 27? Seriously?

 

[Swanny]

7 children at 27? Seriously?

Never been to subcontinent eh ?

 

[DW44]

Never been to subcontinent eh ?

Lived here all but three years of my life but subcontinental culture is on a different level. After 25 years here, the culture still doesn't cease to disgust.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

This is what happens when you lack a proper left leaning party. No one to speak for women's rights, gay rights, minorities, etc. Also we need proper changes in our education system regarding the above.

True.

Right wing is busy playing the victims.

Others are busy scamming.

 

[Swanny]

True.

Right wing is busy playing the victims.

Others are busy scamming.

They are both scamming.

 

[Adil_94]

[MENTION=134809]sensible-indian-fan[/MENTION] isnt Congress supposedly Left Wing.

 

[JaDed]

[MENTION=134809]sensible-indian-fan[/MENTION] isnt Congress supposedly Left Wing.

Congress is centrist and they change with waves,they were left socialist when Indians as such were socialist after the failure they have moved to capitalism and in 2014 actually almost allowed 100℅ FDI .

Personally i think on social terms they are better than BJP but then again i could be fooled by media.

 

[JaDed]

This is what happens when you lack a proper left leaning party. No one to speak for women's rights, gay rights, minorities, etc. Also we need proper changes in our education system regarding the above.

Very true the left in India is a joke,they appease minorities and dont have it in them for bein pure leftist.

Worst is even our left newspapers are similar in nature.

 

[Swanny]

Very true the left in India is a joke,they appease minorities and dont have it in them for bein pure leftist.

Worst is even our left newspapers are similar in nature.

There's a way to appease minorities by building good schools, social welfare, building women's shelters, etc. These congressmen can't even do that. They couldn't bring up bills like marital rape & same sex marriage even though they were in the majority for a long time.

BJP is run by & allied to thugs like RSS, SS, MNS, etc

Meanwhile the leftists are busy fighting amongst themselves to form a movement.

 

[CricketCartoons]

Modi has been the worst thing to happen to India. But the problem is that we still haven't seen his worst.