New Delhi: October 12, 2007-  In India, over 40% husbands beat their wives at some point of time, for various reasons such as disobedience, indiscipline, disrespect to their in laws, backbiting, anti social behavior etc.

A nationwide nation-wide survey is reported being beaten by their husbands several times. More shockingly, around 54% of the women surveyed thought that such violence was justified on one ground or the other.

According to India’s most comprehensive National Family Health Survey-III, which interviewed 1.25 lakh women in 28 states and the national capital during 2005-06, 41% of women justified wife beating if it was because they showed disrespect towards their in-laws while 35% women were OK with being brutally assaulted by their husbands if they neglected household chores or their children.

Not surprisingly then, 51% of the 75,000 men interviewed didn’t find anything wrong with assaulting their wives.

Dr Sulabha Parasuraman of the International Institute of Population Studies, who spearheaded the survey conducted jointly by 18 organisations, termed this attitude of Indian women "truly shocking".

"Men are brought up being taught that beating up their wives isn’t wrong while women are told that being assaulted by their husbands is acceptable. Girls are taught that they can be punished by their husbands for disobedience. This social attitude has to change immediately," she told TOI.

The International Reporter interviewed most of the men, who are married, and the majority say that they justify bearing their wives when their wives go out of control. It is always necessary for a good husband to guide the right path, and to check them, at times they are to be harsh to their wives, even to the extent of beating.