If the reports of Dehradun Women Helpline are to be believed, newly married couples have less patience and tolerance in comparison to their parents and grandparents. Unlike their parents, they don’t believe in long-term relationships, which is resulting in several family disputes and domestic violence.
Newly-wed couples are facing trouble at home for reasons like the wife wearing jeans to the dislike of the in-laws and other such reasons. According to sub-inspector Deeepika Rana, in-charge of Women Helpline, the cases of domestic violence and family disputes are increasing at an alarming rate among the newly married couples in the city.
She said that every year about 70 to 75 percent of cases related to domestic disputes are registered in the Women Helpline, which is the highest percentage of any cases registered here. After counseling in about 793 such cases, Rana found that the couples themselves are responsible for these disputes and issues in most cases. Misunderstanding among the couples is the main cause of such issues, she said.
According to Rana, couples who are married for just one or two years come with complaints of misunderstanding and domestic disputes. She said that the couples lack cooperation and support, which is generating such issues. She further disclosed that live-in relationships and lack of adjustment among couples and family members are also causing disputes.
Pratiksha Gupta (name changed), was in a live-in- relationship with Ajay Sharma (name changed) for about one year. She was consistently getting negative reply from Ajay, whenever she asked him to marry her. Along with Ajay, his family members also rejected Pratiksha. likewise, Reena Srivastava (name changed), who was married to Mangal Srivastava (name changed), in the year 2010 came with a complaint of regular domestic violence.
She said that her husband keeps forcing her to leave her accountant's job and stay at home. Rana said that such cases are quite common in the Women Helpline. In another, case Pallavi Negi (name changed) said that her husband and in-laws restrict her from wearing western dresses like jeans after marriage and this led to their separation.
This impatient attitude of these young couples is resulting in their separation and finally to divorce, said Rana. She also revealed that among the younger generation, mostly the females are not ready to adopt the family culture of their husband’s family. They just want to live a free and restriction free life. Males are equally responsible for the disputes as they are not supporting their partners.