Despite Supreme court’s ruling last year of criminalising the Triple Talaq Bill,complaints had been registered with Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad authorities that Muslim men had continued to divorce their wives by simply saying “Talaq” thrice. Since the same courtesy is not extended to Muslim women, this law was seen as a violation of gender equality rights and was declared unconstitutional and illegal by the Supreme Court. With the amended bill having been passed by the Modi government on 27th December, the nation is divided on whether or not this supports the rights of women.
While triple talaq in itself did not give equal rights to women, it remains to be seen if criminalising triple talaq actually empowers women. The lower house has passed the bill amidst a huge opposition not just indicated by the five hour long debate in the parliament but also protests by the general public. Over 3 crore muslim women had signed a petition against the bill claiming that criminalising the same would be against their religion. With regards to the bill, All India Muslim Law Board seem to think it is a ploy to polarise the upcoming election and told Hindustan Times ,“It’s the worst form of dictatorship”.
Meenakshi Lekhi, BJP’s lead speaker on the other hand, claims that Triple talaq is a human right’s violation thus supporting the bill. She maintained that the bill was not just punitive in nature but also “restorative and reformatory”. Minister of Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad went on to support the bill and drawing attention to the amendments, claimed that the offence was made compoundable to provide room for conciliation. This means that while Triple Talaq would still remain a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment, the case could be withdrawn if the couple in question reached a compromise by mutual understanding.
With the bill being a possible step towards justice and equality, it is imperative to question the motivations behind the same. The poignant timing of passing the bill just before the upcoming elections and the hurried provisions, leave one considering how practical the same is. One might wonder why the bill does not mention anything about providing maintenance for the wife while the husband remains imprisoned. As India slowly edges its way to a new dawn, it remains to be seen if the bill will be further worked upon to deliver on its promise of empowering muslim women or will be forgotten again until the next election.
Comments