by Smriti Singh
NEW DELHI: When Urmi Shukla's (name changed) husband decided to leave her to live with his girlfriend, she didn't know what to do. Desperate for some help, she turned to her residents' welfare association. What followed next was beyond what Urmi could have imagined.
Not only did residents of the housing society in Pitampura, north Delhi, decide to help her fight a legal battle against her husband, they also passed a resolution to financially support her by giving her monthly maintenance till the matter was decided by the court.
It all happened less than two months ago when Urmi, who had nowhere to go for help, went to the office-bearers of Pragati Co-operative Group Housing Society, which she lived and sought help. She told the residents about how her husband had abandoned her and her two children, and had stopped her giving money to run the house. She also told them about the alleged torture her husband had meted out to her. Being illiterate, she did not know what to do.
On April 23, 2013, the society's management committee passed a resolution to pay Rs 10,000 per month to Urmi through "voluntary contributions" from some residents. The RWA made it clear that this contribution was personal and would not be made from funds received for "maintenance of the society".
The residents also went to the police station to express their solidarity with Urmi. Going a step further, the residents have engaged a lawyer for her to file a case against her husband and are actively involved in the process of going to various women commissions and tracking the case in court.
"Isn't actually helping a woman in distress better than lighting a candle at India Gate," posed one of the residents, who did not wished to be named, when asked what made them go out of their way to help this woman.
For Urmi, the support from residents of her society is god sent. She got married in 1987 and came to the capital to live with her husband in 1992. Since then, she says her life has been a living hell. "I have been subjected to emotional and mental torture. I was beaten up for not bringing in enough dowry. Things got worse in 2007 when my husband started having an affair with another woman and would not come home for days," she said.
To protect the woman and her children from harassment, the RWA has decided to not allow the husband's entry in the house. They have also registered a complaint with the police against the husband for causing "nuisance" in the building.
"I am not educated and did not know about my rights until the society members stepped in to help me," Urmi said. With the help of the residents of the society, she has been able to file a case of domestic violence against her husband and another for seeking maintenance.
Her counsel Sanjay Shrivastava said that this was the first time he had seen a woman getting such support from her neighbours. "I have dealt with many matrimonial cases in my career but this case is unique. I have never seen residents of a society coming in and fighting a case for a woman who is helpless," Shrivastava said.
with thanks : Times of India : LINK
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