Gunjan is a really simple and unsophisticated girl. I believe her mother is no more and her father is said to be a drunkard. Her brothers are also criminal types. Thus she has really no one to stand up for her.
Married off into a family far worse even than her own, her husband is a wastrel who cannot hold down a job and is a minor cheat and crook, according to my sources. Her father in law is again another chronic alcoholic. (For a holy place, Rishikesh has far too many alcoholics) Her elder brother in law is also unemployed and being unmarried, lives in the same house, with all that implies.
The family, if you can call it such, depends on the earnings of her mother in law who is a nurse of sorts employed by a local charitable dispensary. However, her main source of income is from giving illegal medical advice to indigent women and acting as unregistered midwife.
Gunjan is more or less a domestic slave, having to carry out all the domestic tasks. She is not allowed to go out on her own lest she complain about her predicament. But the sore point is the constant verbal and physical abuse that she suffers at the hand of her mother in law, a trule witch.
I can plainly see that Gunjan is a sad symbol of all the evils afflicting Indian women. Not all instances of DV are fictive , there are some real cases too.
My question to the honourable forum members is as follows:
Is it possible for me to write to the authorities setting out the details of this situation? Are they required to take action based on a complaint from third party, not a direct member of the family? Can the authorities take action against me for false complaint etc. even though I believe the details are true to the best of my knowledge?
Of course, when the case is investigated (it will surely be, the local police are always on the lookout for collecting bribes) Gunjan will deny everything and say that she is fine. She will suffer terrible punishment if she does otherwise. Besides, if she quits the place, where will she go, how can she manage? Still, it will be a warning to the wicked mother in law, inciting her to cool down her act. Gunjan will also see that she can get help if at all she wants it.
Please feel free with all your suggestions. Gunjan deserves them!
Vishwa
