Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said social conscience, social awareness and social responsibility need to be understood comprehensively to curb domestic violence.
Asserting that the academia should focus on the need to grasp the impact of social context of the domestic violence and counseling could be the way forward in resolving family disputes, the role of education and social environment on the state of mind should also be studied scientifically.
While emphasising the need for the respect for the law on the hand and fear for it on the other hand is necessary, Gadkari recalled the recent assertion of Bhutanese Prime Minister on the concept of Domestic Happy Human Index for holistic social fabric.
Value-based family and education system have been the hallmarks of the Indian society but the current problem of thoughtlessness with emphasis on spirituality and sensitivity for creating an overarching awareness for social responsibility, Gadkari spoke at an event to launch a book titled Broken Brides: Domestic Violence in India written by Dr Shobha Vijender.
Speaking through an online mode from Nagpur, Gadkari stressed on the need to develop a life approach where efforts should be made to enhance the good traits and minimize the limitations of individuals.
On relations, he cited the contexts provided the Hindi movies Anand starred by Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, and Amol Palekar starrer Rajnigandha to under the psyche of people.
The author of the book Shobha Vijender said supportive services and counseling, as emphasized in the book are the need of the hour check violence and help create a gender just society. She said there is a need to appreciate the real needs and felt needs of the victims. To take it forward, there is also a neef or premarital counseling and supportive system for those facing domestic violence.
IAS officer and Commissioner, Jammu and Kashmir administration, Rashmi Singh also addressed the event and asserted that creating awareness about the social schemes related to women empowerment would go a long way in achieving financial self sufficiency that could further help the women, especially those undergoing victimization to take independent decision.
Member Secretary Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts said while women in India have been revered for both knowledge and strength traditionally but at the same time they have also been subjected to domestic violence.
The causes for such violence need to be comprehended to remedy the situation.
Delhi University Vice Chancellor Prof Yogesh Singh said the role women has been increasing as a mark of the progress, as the number of girl students in the Delhi university is over 50 percent. The Women's reservation bill tabled in the Parliament on Tuesday will buttress the numbers in the Parliament and assemblies.
