Nilmini’s Story: Choice of Husband

"She has faced various difficulties at the prison. Nobody cared for her because of the nature of her offence and her old age. She had to do hard work at the houses of prison officers. The poor conditions at the prison including overcrowding, sanitation, food and water make her life even harder and vulnerable."

by Harshi.C.Perera

(September 23, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Nilmini a resident of Elpitiya is a 38-year-old mother of two. She studied up to grade three at school and worked in a tea estate in the same area where she was born. She knew the importance of a job very early in life because of economic difficulties which were faced by her family. She was married to a man who worked in the same estate and once sexually abused her when she was young. He was drunk and treated her cruelly.

Every cent she had earned went to buy alcohol for her husband. Day by day her situation turned steadily worse. When she was unable to give her husband money he made her a proposal to earn money. He wanted to sell her body to other men. According to her he did this because of his drunkenness and cruelty.

When she disagreed he beat and cut her with a knife. The scars caused as result of this inhuman assault by a knife still appear under her stomach, buttocks, and one hand. As the injuries were grave she was treated in hospital and her husband was arrested but later he was released on bail. After her recovery she had to live with him under the same roof. As on earlier occasions he had beaten her and made the old proposal which was selling her body to other men to earn money. At the end she agreed because there was no other alternative.

His habit was to bring his wife to Colombo from Elpitiya daily. He himself found clients and sold her to them. He had also taken her to lodges in Colombo. He was waiting until she came outside and collected money from the clients. If there was more time he found other clients to her wife. At the end of the day he collected amount of money between Rs.2000/= to Rs.4000/= and went home with her. He never gave a cent to his wife. This money all went to buy alcohol. Under the vagrants ordinance she was in prison for ten times for the same offence for two years period. At no time did her husband try to release her on bail, pay the fine, or hire a lawyer. So the end result was that she would end in prison in every time she was arrested by the police.

During this time she didn’t get any sexually transmitted diseases because she safely used condoms which she had taken from health clinics. She said she will go to the same house after the sentence because there was no other place to go. She didn’t have any faith with her husband and she hates him. She says the situation has aroused that what will happen to end of her life.

She has faced various difficulties at the prison. Nobody cared for her because of the nature of her offence and her old age. She had to do hard work at the houses of prison officers. The poor conditions at the prison including overcrowding, sanitation, food and water make her life even harder and vulnerable.

“Being sent to prison is punishment per se. The prison itself is not for continuing punishment. The prison is the last place for crime prevention and correction.”

“I DARE!” KIRAN BEDI A Biography.