Agartala, June 22, 2024: In a harrowing incident highlighting the ongoing scourge of dowry in India, a housewife was brutally attacked by her husband and in-laws and left for dead on the street, with threats made against her young daughter. The incident took place on Saturday morning in Tripura’s Baidyardighi Kasba area of Bishalgarh under Sepahijala district, 28 KMs away from Agartala city.

Tulsi Rani Shil, daughter of Chandan Kumar Shil from the Ashabari area in Boxanagar was married six years back to Rajib Shil, son of Mukul Shil from Baidyardighi Kasba area. From the beginning of her marriage, Tulsi endured relentless physical and mental abuse from her husband Rajib, her mother-in-law Mukul Shil and her brother-in-law Sanjib Shil. They continuously demanded gold ornaments and money as dowry, despite her father’s limited means as a day laborer.

“From the time of her marriage, Tulsi faced unimaginable torture,” said a close family friend. “Her in-laws and husband never ceased their demands for dowry, knowing well that her father couldn’t meet them.”

Despite several arbitration meetings held within the community, the abuse persisted and even escalated over time. The birth of their daughter two-and-a-half years ago only intensified the violence. The in-laws’ threats became more severe, and the beatings more brutal.

On Saturday, the violence reached a horrific climax. Tulsi was beaten mercilessly and abandoned on the Golaghati-Bishalgarh road. Her in-laws issued a chilling ultimatum: if she failed to bring gold ornaments and money from her father’s house by that day, they would kill her young daughter.

Upon hearing the news, Tulsi’s distraught father and other family members rushed to the scene. They found her severely injured and barely conscious. She was immediately taken to the Bishalgarh sub-divisional hospital for urgent medical care.

“Tulsi’s two-and-a-half-year-old daughter was crying inconsolably, pleading for her mother’s safety,” recounted a witness. “It was a heart-wrenching scene.”

The incident has drawn widespread condemnation and raised serious questions about the effectiveness of laws meant to protect women from dowry-related violence. Local residents and Tulsi’s family members are demanding swift action from the authorities, particularly targeting the State Women’s Commission.

“Where is Jharna Debbarma, the chairperson of the Tripura Commission for Women and her team?” cried one anguished family member outside the Bishalgarh Women’s Police Station. “We need immediate action to protect Tulsi and her daughter. The administration’s failure to safeguard women is glaring.”

Despite numerous government schemes aimed at improving the safety and quality of life for women, cases like Tulsi’s continue to surface, underscoring a critical gap in enforcement and protection. Tulsi’s father voiced the despair and frustration felt by many: “No matter how many initiatives the government introduces, the reality is that they are not enough to protect our daughters and wives from such atrocities.”