Orange the World – RESPECT Women

Violence against women is so deeply rooted in the society that we have become numb to it.

- Sujatha Rao

“But he is so doting to our children, Amma,” Lakshmi said defending her alcoholic husband.

“Then, why wasn’t he around when all three of you were down with fever last month?” Shreya asked.

“It’s because of that wretched other woman in his life. Otherwise, he really loves our children. Did you know, a few years ago when my toddler daughter fell into the small sump and hurt herself, he cried so much. Luckily, there was no water in the sump and hearing the thudding sound; I had reached her within seconds. He gave me a solid thrashing that day for being negligent.”

“Where was your husband that day?” a shocked Shreya managed to ask.

“Oh, he was relaxing at home. In fact, my daughter was in his care that day. Unfortunately, both of us didn’t see her crawling out.” Lakshmi replied casually.

Shreya couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Lakshmi was so naïve that she failed to recognise that she was the victim of abuse from her husband that day. In her mind, Shreya seemed to think she deserved it.

‘That’s why education is so important’, thought Shreya feeling grateful for her degrees as well as her well-paying job.

Then the memory of that terrible night from the distant past, when she herself was physically assaulted by her inebriated husband over a petty squabble one time, came floating in her mind.

“OMG, I too have normalised the incident,” Shreya realised with a start.

The above incident comes as no shock when we consider the following global statistics: