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If it's only the fear of legal punishment through our adultery law that keeps you from cheating on your spouse, then are you really in a happy and healthy marriage?
If it’s only the fear of legal punishment through our adultery law that keeps you from cheating on your spouse, then are you really in a happy and healthy marriage?
Our Government seems to think that it doesn’t matter, and that punishing the man committing adultery is enough to keep the ‘sanctity of marriage’ intact!
Mind you, no punishment for the married woman though, because she definitely has no agency or a say in her relationships, right? She is just an object without any opinion of her own.
These are some of the thoughts that went through my mind while I read the recent news about the Centre not being in favour of making changes in the adultery law, i.e. Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that punishes adultery.
The Centre informed the same to the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Earlier, an individual called Joseph Shine had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) demanding that the adultery law be made gender neutral in that both the man and the woman involved in adultery must be awarded with equal punishment.
The current Section 497 IPC punishes only the man involved in adultery with a married woman, with a prison sentence of up to 5 years or with a fine, or both. The woman on the other hand receives no punishment as per this law.
According to the Centre, making changes in Section 497 IPC might adversely impact the sanctity of the marriage bond.
How funny is this that the Government thinks that punishing a man for committing adultery is enough to keep the ‘sacred bond of marriage’ intact.
Fear of punishment shouldn’t be the reason for a man to stay faithful in a marriage! Secondly, if adultery is punishable, then shouldn’t both the man and the woman be punished?
Finally and most importantly, should there really be a punishment for two consenting adults being involved in a relationship? Their cheating on their spouses is of course, grounds for a separation or divorce in their marriages. However, are they really in very strong marriages if the only reason they aren’t cheating on their spouses is because it is punishable by law?
Let us stop treating marriage as a an enforceable bond. The marital bonds between two individuals should be based on ideals such as love, mutual respect, and loyalty. In case those are missing, why should two individuals be forced into staying with each other just because they had signed some papers in the past?
It is high time that our government starts treating its citizens as independent adults capable of making our own choices. The sanctity of marriage cannot be maintained by imposing a draconian law.
A successful marriage is the result of tremendous love and effort put forth by two individuals into their relationship; a government in no way should have a role to play in it.
Kasturi’s debut novel, forthcoming in early 2021, had won the novel pitch competition by Half Baked Beans Publishers. She won the Runner Up Position in the Orange Flower Awards 2021 for Short Fiction. Her read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
It is shameful that in today's world too, women are abused and even killed for giving birth to a girl, and the infant's life is also of no value.
Trigger Warning: This deals with domestic violence, suicide, and violence against women, and may be triggering to survivors.
I am so glad that the esteemed courts are now giving the much-required verdicts regarding certain ideologies that were not at all entertained earlier. I mean we all have studied this much biology at our school level and it is our duty (our generation) to educate our elders about it.
Why someone have to lose a life to bring such awareness to the society. Delhi High Court gave this judgement concerning a case that filed by the deceased daughter’s parents against her in-laws. She committed suicide as she was harassed and tortured for dowry and giving birth to two daughters.
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