Kulsum Bibi, Chadakamahala village, Sultanagar, Orissa

Women in despair flock to 40-year-old Kulsum Bibi of Chadakamahala, Sultanagar, Orissa, for solace and support. She is their confidant, friend and a person one who helps them find direction in their lives. All the women in the village fondly refer to her as phufi or aunt.

Kulsum’s own life has not been easy. She became the second wife of schoolteacher Sheikh Mohammad Hussain in Chadakamahala village when she was barely 16. Her husband resorted to violence soon after their marriage. The dictates of the joint family they lived in demanded that she quietly withstand his abuse. A concerned neighbour, however, reported the abuse to her father. Her father convinced her husband to move away from his family and settle down in his village instead. He gave the couple a piece of land to start their lives together.

Kulsum was determined not to bury the problem of domestic violence simply because her own crisis was resolved. She realised that a majority of the women in her village were beaten within the four walls of their homes and that most of them found it impossible to escape from such abusive treatment because of social norms. She began assuring them that she would stand by them in their hour of need. Her husband stood by her decision.

One day, a woman raped by her husband’s relatives sought her help. Kulsum approached the village panchayat and appealed for intervention. As the girl refused to return to her husband, the panchayat ordered the husband’s family to pay the girl compensation. It enabled the girl to start a small tailoring enterprise.

Kulsum also began frequenting police stations and requesting the police to intervene in cases where women were subjected to violence. She also became part of the 12-member Zonal Committee elected from self help groups to tackle cases of violence against women. As she became active in the Committee, many village women began approaching her for help. Meetings are now organised every month and women openly discuss their problems and draw strength from each other.

Kulsum’s intervention in a dowry case deserves special comment. A woman in her village was brutally assaulted and killed by her husband for not complying with his demand to ask her parents for more money. Kusum with the help of the Zonal Committee members reported the matter to the police and organised protests against the husband. Post mortem reports confirmed that the woman was brutally killed. As pressure from the police mounted, the husband absconded. He returned six months later, hoping to marry again. The women, however, reported the matter to the police. Though he is out on bail at present, the women are determined to ensure punishment for the husband. They say they will work together to seek justice for their dead friend.

Kulsum’s crusade is now also theirs to fight and carry forward.