A slap reverberates

IT is difficult to be in consonance with the Aam Aadmi Party’s stand on remaining silent over a video showing a two-time party MLA being slapped by her husband after an argument in open. The stance to not comment on anyone’s personal life becomes all the more unpalatable considering he is an active AAP leader in his own right and she once headed the party’s women’s wing in Punjab. At the centre of the controversy are not just two individuals but public figures who claim to represent the people and whose every action is followed closely. A reprimand and an apology are due even if the legislator, under duress or of her own volition, wishes to be on the defensive and not file a police complaint.

Avoiding sending a strong message on what is not acceptable would be tantamount to normalising domestic violence and the worst form of patriarchy. If that is not AAP’s intention, it needs to act and discipline the offender instead of relying on the state women’s commission to take cognisance. Domestic violence manifests itself in many ways, but it is universal in its intent and impact. Against women in politics, it is an attempt to reinstate patriarchal hierarchies. The Bhagwant Mann government’s big announcement of banning sarpanch proxies, where male relatives of women cannot attend official meetings, becomes a hollow exercise if it chooses to look the other way to the self-attested patriarchal licence to indulge in violence against women that was put to use against the legislator.

Talking about a traumatic experience such as this can be empowering. Ignoring domestic violence, however, can have damaging repercussions that disincentivise the reporting of such incidents. Political parties routinely talk of representational parity, but fail to step up with appropriate response mechanisms. Even in parties with women at the helm or in key positions, the culture of silence and impunity perpetuates sexual violence. It’s a disservice to every woman.