Thiruvananthapuram, 08 Oct (H.S.): Kerala has launched “Speak Up”, a campaign against domestic violence, with a special task force led by Inspector General of Police Ajitha Begum to coordinate intervention and ensure prompt legal action, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said.

The initiative forms part of the government’s “Avalkkoppam” programme, promised in the United Democratic Front’s election manifesto, and seeks to encourage women to report abuse without fear or hesitation.

Announcing the campaign, Chennithala said 92 women had died because of domestic violence over the past seven years. He described the figure as shocking and said the Home Department would pursue a firm and coordinated response.

More than 15,000 complaints relating to domestic violence were received last year, the minister said. However, he cautioned that the number of women silently enduring abuse, unable even to make a complaint, could be considerably higher.

Invoking the abolished practice of sati, Chennithala said its “ghosts” continued to haunt households through violence against women. Hostility and harassment directed at daughters-in-law persisted in many families like an entrenched social evil, he added.

The minister also condemned dowry-related abuse, saying society could no longer stand by while dowry, prohibited in India more than six decades ago, continued to claim women’s lives.

Under the campaign, information on domestic violence will be collected daily from police stations, followed by swift legal action. Women police personnel will receive training to strengthen the response to complaints.

Chennithala said the special task force would listen to women’s concerns with the empathy of a sister or friend, helping them speak openly about abuse.

Urging women to break their silence, he said no form of harassment should be endured quietly. “Speak Up” would represent a strong government intervention against domestic violence, combining a supportive hearing of complaints with decisive enforcement and a sustained effort to address abuse within homes.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman