Question

Given below are a few newspaper headlines on ‘Domestic Violence’ displayed in a classroom. The teacher asks the students to respond to these headlines. A student writes a note of protest against increasing violence towards women.

Woman hangs self, father alleges in-laws demanded dwry. Meerut man pours acid on wife, in-laws. Man kills 8 month old daughter, in a t of rage surrenders to police Brother attacks sleeping sister, gouges her eyes.

She/He starts the note like this. I am really shocked by these newspaper headlines.

I can’t believe that I am living in the twenty first century. These headlines …………………………………………… 

…………………………………………… 

…………………………………………… 

Complete the note for her/him.

Answer 1

l am really shocked by these newspaper headlines. I can’t believe that I am living in the 21^st century. These headlines show how terrible the life of a woman is in India. In the first case a woman hangs herself because she was not able to give adequate dowry to her husband and his family. She was grossly mistreated in the husband’s home and she could not take it any longer. In the second case, a cruel man pours acid on his wife and the in-laws. In the third case a man kills his 8-month old daughter in a t of rage. In India girls are considered a burden on the family. There used to be female infanticides. Now we have female foeticides. By ultrasound scanning the sex of the foetus is determined and if it is a female, abortion is done. The last one is horrible. Imagine a brother attacking her sleeping sister and gouging her eyes. Where is brotherly love? Atrocities against women are rampant in our society. We speak of equality of women with men. That equality is only on paper. Women are discriminated against socially, economically and culturally. One really wonders if one is living in the 2151 century! When indeed when, will these atrocities end!