Helpline for victims of Dowry Act misuse

Helpline for victims of Dowry Act misuse
Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 11
A group of activists, claiming to be victims of the misuse of the Dowry Act have started a helpline to assist other victims against what they call ‘‘legal terrorism”.

There has been a debate and arguments against the misuse or overuse of the Dowry Act in the recent past, but now this group has come out on the streets and launched a campaign seeking amendments in the Act that was being ‘‘misused to terrorise innocent husbands, their mothers, sisters and even children.’’

The activists of the Swatantra Aawaaz Welfare organisation under their campaign-Adhoora Sach Jaano (know the true side also) have got together and launched a massive programme to help the victims of misuse of Dowry.

Available on 24-hour helpline-96463-89140 and 93169-29321, the activists have already started helping the victims of the Dowry Act, who never demanded dowry but were implicated, as their marriages could not be a success. ‘‘As many as 1.25 lakh women of all ages (from elderly to teenagers) were put behind bars after couples could not strike chords. What was their fault? We are aiming to help all similar victims come out of this crisis. They suffer without any of their fault as they are also booked by the women who want to teach a lesson to their in-laws family, ’’ said Gaurav Saini, a Mohali-based activist.

Stating that already 1 lakh youths from all over India, including activists of 50 NGOs and 40 chapters of the Save Indian Family Foundation have got together, Gaurav said they were campaigning massively and demanding that the Section 489-A should be made bailable and a non-cognisable offense. Besides, they also demanded that the Domestic Violence Act too should be made gender-neutral.

He said they were counselling many victims, who were suffering from mental ailments after their sisters, mothers and other female relatives were made to remain in jail amidst criminals.