Why are young women killing themselves in Kerala?
Indian women hold out their hands as they stand in a line to take part in a 'Women's Wall' protest in support of gender equality in Kochi, Kerala, on Jan. 1, 2019; (AFP Photo)  Three young women committed suicide within 48 hours on June 21-22, leaving behind notes saying 'dowry harassment' forced them to take the extreme step. The suicides have triggered a heated debate in Kerala about the gender insensitivity prevalent in the state. Left-liberal Kerala claims to have the highest female literacy--95.2%--in the country and has produced astonishing women leaders in many fields. Tessy Thomas, the director-general of aeronautical systems at DRDO was the first woman to head the countrys missile project; K.K. Shailaja Teacher, a high school teacher turned political leader won global acclaim as health minister for her efforts during the pandemic and before. And they have many illustrious predecessors including Captain Lakshmi, Mrinalini Sarabhai, Mary Roy, K.R. Gouriamma, Anna Chandy, Justice Fathima Beevi, P.T Usha and several others who in their time emerged as role models for womens empowerment and found a place in history. Unfortunately, now Kerala is back to debating the plight of its daughters. On June 21 night, 22-year-old Vismaya V. Nair, an Ayurveda BAMS student was found hanging at her husbands home in Sasthamkotta in Kollam district. Prior to her death, she had shared WhatsApp messages with her relatives alleging torture by her husband Kiran, a motor vehicle inspector in the transport department. The couple had got married last May and her father Thrivikraman, a local Communist Party of India leader, had gifted the groom a new car worth Rs 10 lakh, 1.25 acres of land and 100 sovereigns gold as dowry. The brides family lodged a complaint with police and Kiran was arrested on June 24. The post-mortem report stated that Vismaya died due to hanging but its still not confirmed whether it was a case of suicide or murder. The government has constituted a high-level police team headed by Inspector General Harshita Attalluri to conduct the probe. Just 24 hours later, another 24-year-old, Archana, was allegedly set ablaze by her husband in Vizhinjam, this time in adjoining Thiruvananthapuram district. The couple too had married in 2020 and the girls family alleged dowry-related torture by the husband. On June 22, Suchithra Vishnu, a 19-year-old married to an army havildar posted in Uttarakhand, was found hanging at her in-laws home. Her family too has alleged dowry-related torture. The series of suicides by young housewives has exposed the dark side of Kerala society, one which treats women as second-class citizens while making the right noises in public about womens liberation and empowerment. The same theme is reflected in the cultural scene too, with Malayalam movies, fiction and even spiritual leaders celebrating women as role models, but only as long as they are confined to the four walls of their homes, caring for their kids, in-laws and husbands. A change will happen only when Keralas women liberate themselves from traditional roles, get out of the subordinate roles prescribed by our society, says Anjana A.S, a journalism student based in Thiruvananthapuram. That will possibly happen in time, but right now Keralas crime statistics reveal that domestic violence is a serious concern. In 2016, it hit a high with 3,455 women officially complaining to the police about their husbands. The figures dipped a bit in later years but still stayed in the 2,000 plus range. The pandemic again seems to have exacerbated the situation; in 2020, 2,715 cases were registered, and number till April this year has been 1,427. These numbers do not reflect the real situation in our families, says a senior lady police officer. Even well-educated and well-employed women are tortured over dowry, and after years of marriage. Its the same male chauvinist mindset which also rules Kerala and its politics, she adds. While addressing the media on June 22, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state government would start gender-sensitive lessons from the primary school level so that the new generation in the state is more sensitised. A new helpline, Aparajita, to record complaints of domestic violence has also been started. But the need of the hour is more platforms for women to speak out and expose the hypocrisies in Kerala society. T.N. Seema, former CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member and national vice-president of the All India Democratic Womens Association, has some sage advice: We need a women-friendly ecosystem in our families and society. The best way for that is for women to earn and decide their own fates. Financial freedom makes you more independent, and a decision-maker. Lastly, when you want to say no, be firm and say it with all your heart.  Read India Today magazine by downloading the latest issue: https://www.indiatoday.com/emag