Minister gives brides bats to beat abusive husbands

Maybe Nigeria can take a cue from India.

An Indian state minister has given out 10,000 wooden bats newly wed brides and their family members to deal with domestic violence.

Gopal Bhargava gave out the bats on Sunday, April 30, 2017, as a measure to stop husbands in Garhakota district from abusing their wives when they are drunk.

This district in India has experienced a lot of domestic abuse cases from drunk husbands. "When I go to the village all the women tell me to ban liquor," Bhargava told CNN.

"If a family gets 100 rupees, and then at least 50 rupees are spent on the alcohol" he further said.

The effect of this is that many of these husbands who spend their fortunes on alcohol come home drunk and beat their wives. To curb this, brides are now given wooden bats called 'mogri'. They were once for washing clothes but with the issue of domestic violence, it is a self-defence weapon.

There are inscriptions on both sides of the bats; "his bat is given to reform the alcoholics" and "police will not say anything."

According to Bhargava, "You can use it below the belt."

This is an interesting approach from the Indian government to deal with domestic violence. The Asian country is notoriously known for issues of rape and domestic violence.

If this approach succeeds in reducing cases of domestic violence in the Indian district maybe it can be adopted in Nigeria.

It might not be a bad idea if government officials give newly married women pestles to 'deal' with their husbands if they ever lay their hands on them.