SYED KHALIQUE AHMED

VADODARA, MARCH 15: Illicit relations have been found to be the reason for most of the women murders in rural areas of Vadodara district. Domestic quarrel over not preparing good food, insistence of women for going to their parents against the wishes of their husbands, economic hardships and the use of abusive language by women also play a key role in provoking men to kill women.

These facts came to light in a survey on atrocity on women conducted by Vadodara (rural) police recently. According to the findings of the survey, 32 per cent of killings takes place due to extra-marital relations of women.

``This type of relations are prevalent in all castes and religions though it was found more rampant among the scheduled caste people,'' said Dr N. Rajaram of department of sociology of M.S. University and superintendent of police Keshav Kumar interpreting the survey reports. Though no serious studies have not been conducted on this subject so far, the liberal and open social structure of tribal people is believed to be the main reason for the increasing extra marital relations in the tribal society.

According to the survey, 50 per cent of the women murdered belong to the age group of 21-30 years and 35 percent between 31 and 40 years. The case of women being murdered after 40 years of age is rare and it figures only seven per cent. Of the total murder cases from the rural areas, 46 per cent are of tribal women while 14 per cent are of scheduled castes. The case of upper caste people being murdered is only four per cent.

According to Rajaram, tribes people are straight forward in accepting their guilt and many times they themselves surrender before police about the crime, said Rajaram.

Rape and molestation rates are also highest among tribesmen. According to the survey, 14, 16 and 11 rape cases were recorded in 1998, 1999 and 2000 respectively and 64 per cent of the victims were tribeswomen. Similarly, 44 per cent victims of molestation were belonged to the tribal category.

Interestingly, by and large, accused persons are also belonged to their own community. More than 58 per cent of women subjected to rape and molestation are of the age group of 11 to 20 years.

However, the crime against women in rural Vadodara is on a decreasing trend if the survey is to be believed. While there were 415 cases were registered in 1998 in 1999 the figure was 338. In 2000 it again declined to 299, the survey revealed.