Editorial
Brutal treatment to domestic aid
Abominable beyond measure
It is again in the news -- that debased form of inhuman treatment meted out to a helpless child working as domestic help. It came to light only as neighbours who couldn't bear up with it anymore decided to report to law enforcers. What then was revealed through the statement of Shohagi Akhter was a disturbing tale of torture, brutalisation and laceration of her tender body. Just imagine the plight the child was forced into. She was a destitute with nowhere to turn to for food, shelter and little affection in exchange for a daily grind of chores other than the brutes of a couple into whose hands she had strayed.
In this case the neighbours spoke out and a rescue operation followed, both doing their conscionable parts, for which they deserve thanks, of course. But we suspect that at many homes in the city maltreatment of domestic aid in various degrees and forms have been taking place wrapped in silence as the victims go on suffering. The neighbours have a duty there but essentially the employers themselves must have an introspection as to whether they are treating their domestic workers with kindness and compassion they deserve as poor children performing back-breaking tasks.
Occasionally we have come across news items of housemaid brutalisation, even in homes where normally this is not expected, given their economic and social status. This is very unfortunate; yet, as it is, domestic violence is a pervasive vice cutting across social strata and will have to be dealt with accordingly. It has to be addressed at the individual, family and community levels.
Laws are not in short supply: for, in addition to the Woman and Child Repression Act we now have a law against domestic violence. Existence of laws itself is no guarantee against torture and brutalisation of domestic workers. What can bring a difference is a manifest application of the law. Nobody should escape punitive action having committed such offence and been brought to law through exercise of any clout. In how many cases of child repression have the offenders been actually punished? We need to give deterrent punishment to the offenders to stamp out the evil.
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