Anna-Lisa Paul
Opposition Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial says in order to reduce domestic and gender-based violence in all its forms, organisations and schools must come together to address the root causes that lead to these types of adverse behaviours.
Commending the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of T&T (APS) on its move to enhance efforts and adopt a more proactive approach to address the many forms of domestic violence, she yesterday expressed hope this action would lead to a reduction in the number of situations that continue to arise.
In a full-page advertisement in the daily newspapers yesterday, the APS described the murder of Omatie Ramdial-Deobarran by one of their beloved teachers, Amar Deobarran on April 1, as “absolutely abhorrent and unacceptable.”
Amar, 41, chopped his 36-year-old wife to death at the family home in Barrackpore before ingesting gramoxone.
The couple was parents to a 13-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy – both of whom witnessed the incident.
Deobarran was last employed as a Standard Five teacher at Avocat Vedic Primary School, which is controlled and operated by the APS.
Acknowledging the painful and uncertain future the couple’s children now faced, the APS pledged to, “support these children in whatever way we can as they grapple with this tragedy.”
They described Deobarran as, “An exemplary teacher who went the extra mile to ensure that his students excelled.”
However, they continued, “While the APS recognises his excellence as a teacher, we view his actions where he brutally took the life of his wife and then his own, with his children becoming orphans, as absolutely abhorrent and unacceptable.”
The APS indicated it was, “firmly against domestic violence of any form.”
They added, “No one possesses the moral, spiritual or legal right to inflict violence upon another human being, except in extenuating circumstances, for example, self defense.”
As a Hindu organisation, the APS said one of its underlying principles in the empowerment of women in all facets of life – which was evident by the number of female teachers and principals in the system.
“However, we recognise that reality is not always reflective of principle and ideology,” the APS stated.
Commenting on the situation yesterday, Lutchmedial said, “I think the issue of gender-based violence has to be tackled by all entities and I am heartened to hear that one entity, using its educational institution and its cultural and religious organisation because a lot of gender-based violence is rooted in culture.”
She continued, “I think the way to overcome what is now some sort of accepted cultural norm of using violence against both your spouse or significant other, and children, is something that you have to tackle from the level of the educational institution.”
The APS said, “The scourge of domestic violence still continues.”
Claiming that a woman’s place in the home, family, workplace and general society was still perceived as subordinate to that of their male counterparts, the APS said, “For some, this eventuality translates into an inability by the man to successfully deal with situations where his sense of masculinity is challenged, or when he simply cannot retain control over the female, even when he is wrong.”
The APS charged, “This type of behaviour is reflective of failures at many levels: a failure of parents in perpetuating and reinforcing these kinds of behaviours; the failure of our educational system to adequately emphasise this issue; a failure of our legal and protective services which continues to treat domestic violence as husband and wife business, rather than the criminal act that it is; the failure of religious and social entities that continue to use religious writ to support ideologies and behaviours that present women as subordinates to men; and an overarching poor understanding of the transformation in gender dynamics.”
Lucthmedial said, “I am happy they (APS) are taking that approach..it’s a multi-faceted problem that requires a multi-faceted solution.”
“We have to do a lot more to improve the level of communication and problem solving between adults and that is not something you can teach an adult. You have to teach it to children as they are coming up so when they become adults and enter into relationships, they understand how to communicate better and not resort to violence.”
She said the APS was well-placed to embark on this type of action, and urging other organisations to follow this, she concluded, “Use the religious as well as the educational arm to really try to address the problem because that is really, like many other crimes, it is a societal problem that must be tackled at the societal level so that you can do crime prevention.”
“I am happy to hear people proposing root cause solutions and I encourage more organisations to take that approach.”
The APS said as an organisation founded on social reforms, they were “totally dedicated to the upliftment of women, and of our society on the whole. And, in light of this horrible tragedy that hit so close to home, we will be enhancing our efforts and taking more proactive measures to deal with domestic violence in its many forms.”
The APS appealed to parents, “to help redefine gender-based behaviours by displaying and reinforcing behaviours and values that impact positively on our children, especially since the family is the child’s first forum of learning and socialization.”
To teachers, they urged them, “to make unacceptable and acceptable gender-based behaviours part of the social and academic development of our young minds.”
“We urge adults, young and old, to understand that your spouse or partner is not yours to do with as you please and that a failed relationship along with the feelings of shame and failure that it often brings, is far less harmful than a life lost or destroyed.”
To the authorities, the APS called for, “stricter and more discerning laws, regulations, and reactions to reports of domestic violence. No case should be taken lightly. It is never just a little slap.”
