Bangalore, Sept 6 (IBNS) A judge in Karnataka who purportedly said a man who provides for his wife can beat her up is facing the ire of civil society and women lawyers who have demanded his removal before the Chief Justice of India.
A Facebook campaign with a special account to remove the judge is gaining momentum and hundreds of people signed online petition against the judge, Justice Bhaktavatsala, and sent it to the Chief Justice of India, S.H. Kapadia.
The online petition titled Remove Justice Bhaktavatsala -Karnataka reads: "I am shocked at the comments made by Justice Bhaktavatsala of Karnataka , High Court, in various domestic violence and divorce cases recently are perpetuating the myth of patriarchy and his opinions are unconstitutional The judges are supposed to protect and enforce human rights of the citizens , but here we have a judge who is against women rights and even encouraging them to continue to stay in a violent relationship."
According to media reports, Justice Bhaktavatsala in a case of domestic violence told the victim that "women suffer in all marriages."
The online site for petition, change.org said quoting media reports that on Aug 31, the judge went out of his way to counsel the young woman whose stated reason for not living with her husband was that he used to beat her.
Justice Bhaktavatsala said, “Women suffer in all marriages. You are married with two children, and know what it means to suffer as a woman. Yesterday, there was a techie couple who reconciled for the sake of their child. Your husband is doing good business, he will take care of you. Why are you still talking about his beatings? I know you have undergone pain. But that is nothing in front of what you undergo as a woman. I have not undergone such pain. But madam (Justice BS Indrakala) has.”
According to the site, the court asked the woman if her parents were present, at which her father walked up to the bench. The judge remarked, “Ask your father if he has never beaten your mother!”
"When the woman said her husband would beat her in the open, in front of everyone, Justice Bhaktavatsala remarked that it was she who was bringing it out in the open."
Wow... I think the judge, the two other commenters on the article, and any others like them should take a good hard look in the mirror and ask themselves who the "uncultured" and "biased" really are. The world is changing my friends (although India and other third-world countries are obviously lagging WAY behind), better pull your heads out of the dark ages (and out of your backsides) and get on board or you're going to get left behind. Old, alone, and unloved. Happy wife = Happy life!
Posted by MDT on 2012-09-19 21:31:07
The respected Judge has told the right thing. There has been increase in the abuse of anti-dowry and domestic violence laws and harassment of men and their family members by the misuse of anti-dowry and domestic violence laws. Statistics say that suicide rates among married men are much higher than married women these days in India. Justices Arijit Pasayat and H.K. Seema of the Indian Supreme Court had termed 498A (anti dowry law) as "legal terrorism' in the context of its growing misuse. These laws are becoming a tool for breaking the family and to be used as a threat against the husband and the in-laws. These laws aimed for preserving the women's rights are being used to harass the elderly women only ( mostly mother-in-laws). Here the respected Judge has not told anything wrong and he is just trying to save our society from this menace and destruction by some uncultured and inexperienced people who dont understand the ground realities of marital life and promoting legal terrorism and breaking families.
Posted by Nikhil on 2012-09-06 13:41:55
I support the judge. Some biased and uncultured people who do not understand the ground realities of a marital life and promoting the destruction of our family and social life. Most of these legal fights and breakage of the families could have been avoided by tolerance and adjustment. But some women , being carried away by the wrong notion of gender eaquality, are abusing the law of the land and using these laws for black mailing their husbands and in-laws and some money minded lawyers are helping them. The judge has expressed the right view.
