Develop mindset to accept women as equal, says Kerala Governor

PTI, Oct 8, 2021, 4:30 PM IST

Malappuram (Kerala): Expressing concern over incidents of dowry harassment in Kerala, Governor of the State Arif Mohammad Khan on Friday said the atrocities against women can be addressed only if a mindset is created which does not consider them as inferior and accept them as equal.
“We have laws, we have very good police yet these things are happening, why? Because laws and police come into picture only after crime has been committed,” the Governor told reporters after visiting the house of Moosakkutty of Mampad, Malappuram, whose suicide was allegedly due to harassment his daughter faced from her husband in the name of dowry.

Moosakkutty’s 20-year-old daughter and her family had alleged that the dowry harassment she had to suffer from her husband drove her father to end his life.

Before ending his life, Moosakkutty, 46, recorded a video narrating the brutal domestic violence his daughter faced at her husband’s residence.

Visiting his home on Friday, Khan consoled the family members.

“Only if you create a mindset which does not consider women inferior, when we accept women as equal, when we accept that women are entitled to the same dignity, only then these things can be solved,” Khan said.

When a series of dowry deaths rocked Kerala in July this year, Governor Khan observed a fast on July 14 to create social awareness against the social evil and end atrocities against women.

He suggested that prior to taking admission in colleges, students and their parents should sign a bond that they will not engage in the practice of dowry.