Chennai: After woeful wives and harassed husbands, it’s the turn of mothers-in-law to form an organisation. More than 500 of them from across the country will come together in Bangalore to launch the All-India Mothers-in-law Protection Forum (AIMPF) on Sunday.
For some, it will provide a forum to be heard; for others, it is to break the ‘cruel woman’ stereotype that TV soaps have been reinforcing. So varied is the constitution of the forum that it has as members a university teacher from Chennai, a forensic expert from Delhi and a surgeon from Karnataka.
“In TV dramas, we are the villains; in real life, we are the victims,” said Nalini (name changed), a homemaker from Chennai, who has joined the AIMPF. The organization is being supported by the Save India Family Foundation (SIFF), a Bangalore-based NGO working for ‘harassed husbands’.
So will the AIMPF protect mothers-in-law only from their daughtersin-law and not sons-in-law? “Mostly the women are accused and dragged to court by their daughters-in-law. So we are focussing only on them. The organization is not against anyone; it is for mothers-in-law,” said SIFF public relations officer Virag Dhulia.
The forum plans to use its website, www.aimpf.org, to host discussions and debates. “The forum will take up issues, including amendments to inheritance laws and the Domestic Violence Act,” SIFF convenor Manoj David said.
Some AIMPF members TOI spoke to had horror tales to narrate. One said that whenever she went inside the bath to shower, her daughter- in-law would turn on the geyser from outside.
Supporters of the forum said that though there were several incidents of mothers-in-law torturing their daughters-in-law, there were also many mothers-in-law who silently bore the brunt of domestic violence. “There are several mothers-in-law who are victimised and threatened with Section 498 (a) of the IPC, which speaks of up to three years’ imprisonment for husband’s relatives in dowry harassment cases,” said Virag.
Tags: bangalore india, cruel woman, Daughter-in-Law, daughters in law, domestic violence, domestic violence act, forensic expert, horror tales, host discussions, Indian Family, inheritance laws, manoj, many mothers, Marriage, mother-in-law, mothers in law, tv dramas, tv soaps, university teacher, violence against women, virag, Women, Women's Rights
I am so happy to see mothers taking this amazing step.
It’s a very good initiative. I am being falsely alleged completely and been still harassed by my wife (now separated) who cheated on me while we were in relation and been facing lots of legal proceedings in NZ. And, my in-laws have threatened me and my family that they will kill us if we go back to India. I have no problems fighting them back but, I am worried about my parents and family and am not able to come back home (INDIA) and neither my family. My in-laws also filed dowry harassment case on me and my family whereas the fact is that there was never ever even the slightest talk about dowry anytime during our relationship – not even once and we didn’t take dowry to start with.
When these legal terrorists (like my wife and her parents) are so publicly harassing me and my family, I feel so sad that none in this world are ready to help us come out of the stringent claws of my wife and my in-laws. And, we are still being harassed today by the so called LAW!!!
Once I’m back in India I will be taking an active participation in this revolution against such legal terrorists. It far gone that any girl is been harassed by in-laws in this 21st century. Girls are not anymore so innocent that they bear any such things. They need equality in everything but also need laws to harass husbands and their family with mere sympathy! This is just favorism and mere injustice towards men and their families. Yes I do agree that once upon a time there used to be days where girls were harassed by husbands and mother-in-laws. But, it’s not the case anymore. Law is forgetting that even mother-in-laws and sister-in-laws are women and they do worry about their sons and their families!
Well done mothers… I salute to you all.
Please read the 498A Survival Guide.
Know your rights and kick the cops if they try to harass you due to false complaints.
http://ipc498a.wordpress.com/2007/07/01/the-498a-survival-kit/
Hi!
When I read about this MIL forum, I was very excited & wanted to visit to read the comments. I, myself, am a victim of harassement so i would like to help. I run my Indian matrimonial site, hamarijodi.com If it can be useful in any way, please let me know.
Thanks
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Hi, iam very happy to welcome this forum for harassed moms-in-law. I was thinking whom to contact, even my mother in law is facing problems with her son and daughter in law.