Patna: The brutal assault on ruling party lawmaker Bima Bharati by her lawbreaker husband in Bihar recently has triggered a public debate as to whether this eastern Indian state is really notorious for wife-beating in India. And, much to their surprise, the recent findings of the government have put a seal of confirmation on the thinking of the common men!
According to the latest findings of the National Family Health Survey-III, 59 per cent of women are beaten by their husbands in Bihar, the highest rate in India.
The survey says Bihar leads the pack of "notorious" states like Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the incidence of wife-bashing ranges from 40 per cent to 46 per cent.
What is surprising is that 32 per cent of women in Bihar find the beating justified "if a woman argues with her husband, shows disrespect to her in-laws or is suspected of having an extra-marital relationship".
In quite the same way, more than 50 per cent of adults find it justified to beat one's wife under "special circumstances".
Significantly, the violence against women — whether physical, sexual or emotional — is not limited to any particular caste, tribe, region or economic class. Rather, every class has shown disrespect towards their better halves.
According to the latest findings of the National Family Health Survey-III, 59 per cent of women are beaten by their husbands in Bihar, the highest rate in India.
The survey says Bihar leads the pack of "notorious" states like Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the incidence of wife-bashing ranges from 40 per cent to 46 per cent.
What is surprising is that 32 per cent of women in Bihar find the beating justified "if a woman argues with her husband, shows disrespect to her in-laws or is suspected of having an extra-marital relationship".
In quite the same way, more than 50 per cent of adults find it justified to beat one's wife under "special circumstances".
Significantly, the violence against women — whether physical, sexual or emotional — is not limited to any particular caste, tribe, region or economic class. Rather, every class has shown disrespect towards their better halves.
