THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Alcohol consumption and suspicions on fidelity are the leading causes for discord among families, says the Kerala State Women’s Commission (KSWC). The dispute over ancestral property is also a cause for conflict, the commission stated at its mega adalat conducted at the Commission Office on Wednesday.
Of the 86 complaints considered at the adalat, 21 were settled. While 10 cases were sent for counselling, a report was sought on nine cases; the rest were postponed to the next adalat. “Of the cases at the adalat, a majority pertained to disputes between children and aged parents, and those between spouses,” said Shahida Kamal, member, KSWC.
According to her, one particular case summed up the value erosion in society. In the complaint filed by the youngest daughter of a widow, the former alleged her older sister has kept their mother on house arrest and denied her the opportunity to meet or talk to their her.
“We summoned the woman, her two daughters and her in-laws. As we spoke to them, we figured out the complainant wanted to know how much her mother had in her account,” said Shahida. When the daughter learnt the commission would not then take up her complaint, she stomped out of the room.