RICHMOND HILL, NY (TIP): An Indian American Sikh woman’s death by suicide, and a viral video detailing her domestic abuse, sparked outrage across social media platforms on Saturday, August 6, with several Indian community groups in New York coming together to seek justice for Mandeep Kaur.
The video posted online by The Kaur Movement, an online portal working to raise awareness regarding violence against South Asian women, has brought the issue of abuse of NRI women back into focus. The MEA including Indian Missions and Posts abroad received 3,955 complaints between 2017 and 2019 related to matrimonial disputes from married women of Indian citizenship. The complaints received were 1498 in 2017; 1299 in 2018 and 1158 in 2019. In the video, Kaur, who hailed from UP’s Bijnor, is seen being assaulted by her husband, with her two daughters, aged 4 and 6 years, whimpering in the backdrop.
“I endured my husband’s abuse for eight years hoping he would change one day but no,” a tearful and despairing Kaur says in the video she recorded before her death by suicide on August 3. Mandeep Kaur names her husband and in-laws in the video statement saying, “God will watch everyone’s actions. I am saying nothing.” She also alleged that her husband once kidnapped and confined her to a truck for six days, assaulting her daily.
“After my father lodged a police complaint, he pleaded for forgiveness, and I forgave him. But he was back to his ways. They forced me to die,” says Kaur, crying throughout the recording that has been widely shared. The New York Police Department is learnt to be probing the case while Kaur’s parents, based in Bijnor, have sought the Ministry of External Affairs’ help to get their daughter’s body back to India. New York-based social activist Japneet Singh, on August 6, shared on Instagram videos of protests under the banner “Justice for Mandeep Kaur” the local Punjabi community held in solidarity with the victim. The appeals for justice reveal that the challenges of NRI women have hardly abated. Mr. A. K. Vijayakrishnan, Consul, Community Affairs at the Indian Consulate in New York visited the gurdwaras in the neighborhood and spoke with community leaders. Mr. Vijayakrishnan offered condolences on behalf of the Consul General Randhir Jaiswal and offered government of India’s assistance to the bereaved family.
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar in a statement said that she joins with Mandeep Kaur’s family, friends, and the entire community in mourning the tragic suicide of the Richmond Hill resident at age 30. “The video testimonial Ms. Kaur recorded days before her suicide tells a horrifying tale of eight years of physical and psychological abuse by her husband. Anyone who commits such morally depraved crimes must face the full consequences of our criminal justice system. I have already spoken with 102nd Precinct Commanding Officer Captain Jeremy Kivlin and he assured me that the NYPD is investigating the alarming accusations of domestic violence against Ms. Kaur”, Jenifer said.
Assemblywoman in her statement said:” As the first South Asian woman elected to New York State Office, I view my office as a sanctuary for women who need help, particularly immigrant women whose nearest family may live an ocean away. If you are experiencing domestic violence, myself and the resources of the State of New York are here for you. You are not alone. “As the only woman ever elected to this seat, let me also be abundantly clear: There will be zero tolerance for violence against women in my district.
“In response to this tragic event, I have established a task force led by my senior staffer Amrit Kaur to investigate and report on domestic violence within the South Asian American community, including the unique needs of South Asian women in abusive situations. The task force will also provide any assistance needed to coordinate the parallel investigations by the NYPD and the police in Uttar Pradesh, Mandeep Kaur’s home before moving to America.
“Until women are free from gender-based violence, our society cannot realize its full potential. That is why I have dedicated my career to advancing the rights of women. I served on the legal advisory council of Sanctuary for Families, one of New York’s premier service providers for domestic violence survivors. In the 2022-23 enacted budget, my colleagues in the legislature and I allocated $34.4 million in financial assistance to domestic violence survivors. This only marks the beginning of my work.
“May Mandeep Kaur’s family, including her two young children, be blessed with strength after this unfathomable loss. May we all come together as a community to end the scourge of violence against women once and for all.”