Photo courtesy CBC News
Once again Canadians gasped in horror as a blatant act of domestic violence involving the death of a South Asian woman hogged the headlines of the mainstream media.
This time a Vancouver man is charged with killing his wife in Arizona and fleeing to India where he was arrested.
The murder once again brought to surface the perception that domestic violence in the South Asian community is epidemic.
It is not.
Domestic violence crimes happen everyday in literally tens of thousands of homes.
A wide majority of domestic violence incidents are never reported.
And it’s not happening only in the South Asian community.
Having said that, nobody deserves to be abused, especially not by the ones who once they loved.
Demographics don’t count because many abusers are rich. Race doesn’t matter because many batterers are white.
The South Asian community in B.C. has seen a spate of high profile attacks and murders of late.
This has led to public rallies and speeches which are aimed at creating awareness and show off a support network for the abused.
These actions must be commended because they show the strength and compassion in the South Asian community which is determined to help the vulnerable.
However, the organizers of these rallies and speeches must be cognizant of the fact that some of their rhetoric is discoloring the entire South Asian male population.
Some of these events are already carrying tones that domestic violence in the South Asian community and sexual assault are gender-motivated crimes rooted in the history of discrimination against women.
We are not for a moment condoning that this issue be swept under the carpet because of the growing angst in the South Asian male populace.
However, the fact is not all victims of domestic violence are women; not all men are abusers.
While we have heart wrenching stories replayed at these end-the-violence rallies, none have gone so far as to provide some numbers.
Just what is the percentage of domestic violence cases in B.C.’s South Asian community in relation to the general population?
Has anyone asked The RCMP or a municipal police force that have domestic violence units the number of South Asian cases they deal with compared with all the other calls they attend?
The murders of Manjit Panghali, Navreet Kaur Waraich and the blinding of Gurjeet Kaur are horrendous incidents, which must be denounced in the strongest of terms.
The people responsible must be punished.
Indo-Canadian women’s groups that have taken up the cause to help abused women in the community must be lauded.
But the key to ending this violence is education.
Educating kids that there is no place for violence in the home and elsewhere.
Educating women that they do not have to live in a culture of violence.
Educating men to seek support.
South Asian community activists in British Columbia are showing that there is no way they will continue to tolerate domestic violence.
They also have the responsibility to show that the majority of the people they represent live peaceful and loving lives.
