I WILL ALWAYS BLAME MEN...THEY ARE LESS TOLERANT

Yamin Hazarika, a tough cop who headed the Crimes Against Women Cell, speaks to Osama Manzar about her experiences

What have been your experiences at the Crime Against Women cell of which you were in charge till recently? What kind of cases did you have to handle?
Well, there were the usual problems that arise in a married woman’s life. Problems like dowry, family interference, husband’s extra-marital affairs, harassment by husband, a few cases of rape and molestation, and so on. However, most of the cases used to be of dowry-related problems. In fact, this cell was earlier known as the “Anti- dowry Cell”. In 1986 its name was changed to Crime Against Women Cell, which is the only one of its kind anywhere in India.

What kind of support and help did you provide?
Basically we were supposed to work within the legal frame work. Yet, the cases that we received at the cell were subject to counsel and proper guidance. We had some counsellors who tried to patch up the relationship. If counselling did not work then we went for legal help if desired by the victim. Sometimes we went beyond the police and took help from concerned voluntary organisations. Especially when it was the case of a rape victim, we asked the voluntary organisation .to go and talk to the victim and counsel her.

Did you succeed In catching the rapists?
Yes, always. We have so far worked out almost all rape’ cases. For instance, in 1993-94, only 20 cases could not be solved.

Why is the rate o crime against women going up?
You see the problem is that though every case of dowry has always been reported, other crimes like rape and molestation have largely gone unreported. But now that incidents of rape are being increasingly reported, the crime rate graph is going up. It is, however, a good sign that women have started speaking up. Previously we heard of rape cases occurring only in jhuggi-jhopri clusters and slums. Only since 1993 have rape cases started being reported from the upper strata of society.

What kind of crime against women has the highest frequency?
Wife-battering is the most frequent. Of course, eve-teasing is always there, but very few people come and report .eve-teasing. Even if they report they do not want legal action, they just want it to be stopped.
Does Delhi have the highest rate of crime against women in India?
It is not only Delhi, but the entire Hindi belt which has the highest crime rate, except Haryana. Haryana, surprisingly, has a. very low rate of crime against women. Probably because they have their own system of justice where such crimes are not allowed to be reported to the police.
What is the reason for such a high crime rate?
It is because of the northerners’ attitude towards women. They always consider women as inferior, unlike in the South and North-East, where they have, at least, respect for women. In the North, men side line women like non-entities. They do not respect women either inside or outside.
At a seminar you once said that women should sort out their problems at home. Should they not come to the police for help?
They should come to the police as a last option. Most cases, like harassment, are family- oriented problems, where external interference brings embarrassment to the family and relationships become more sour and go out of control. What I suggest is that only those cases should go to police in which the parties have decided to break the relationship for good. Then we have to register the case.
Whom do you blame for the present situation?
I will always blame men. Because men are less tolerant, their egos are easily upset when their wives happen to work outside and often earn more than their husbands. The bottomline is that over the years while Indian women have grown--a. lot, the Indian men have not grown at all they have stayed where they were.
Earlier, the Indian woman was a typical housewife but today she is working out of home and earning. How can you treat her the same way? Can you treat your daughter the way you were treated?
How do you think the situation can be improved?
Change the attitude. Not laws.