Pune: It has been one-and-a-half years now and a 22-year-old triple talaq victim who wished to be unnamed, is still hoping that her husband will accept her back. She is currently fighting her case in the District and Sessions Court.
“This bill hasn’t directly helped me in my case. But I feel it will create fear among Muslim men. They will think twice before pronouncing oral divorce to their wives,” said the mother of a three-and-a-half-year-old boy. She had got married at the age of 17 years. A few years later, her husband divorced her orally.
“However, there are a few loopholes in the Bill, one of which is criminalisation of the Muslim men who practise the triple talaq. How will they look after the family and give alimony to the wife?” she questioned.
“But I believe a bill with strong punishment against these men is also needed because it will rightly punish those men who will never bend in front of any law,” she added.
Currently, she is pursuing a law degree and lives with her parents. The court has directed her husband to pay alimony of Rs 15,000 per month.
“I still want to go back to him. I don’t want to end my marriage like this. I have been asking our acquaintances and relatives to convince him to accept me back. But all in vain. Never mind! I am also pursuing a law degree and will start earning in two years,” she said.
Meanwhile, activists have welcomed the mandate of Rajya Sabha (RS) which passed the Triple Talaq (also known as Talaq-e-Biddat) Bill or the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill with a majority of votes. “The parliament’s decision supporting the Bill has taken the movement a step ahead. It is a good move. But there are still many issues which are left unaddressed like polygamy and halala. Now that one issue has been addressed by the government, we aim to create a mass movement related to other issues as well. Because ultimately they are all linked to each other somehow,” said Benazir Tamboli, Chief of Mahila Manch of Muslim Satyashodak Mandal.
Speaking about criminalisation of men who pronounce triple talaq, Tamboli said, “The duration of the punishment will depend on the magistrate or the woman. Also, once the husband gives triple talaq, he anyway abandons his wife. So how will he look after his wife if he is jailed should not be a question.”
While social activist Tamana Inamdar said the Bill will not be beneficial for Muslim women. “The government has made it clear that it will make a Bill to stop triple talaq only,” said Inamdar.
“Muslim women wanted justice by scrapping the tradition of triple talaq but at what cost? This bill hasn’t revealed specifications on how the husband will pay the alimony or take care of his wife and children after the talaq. How will their family survive? Clarifications are still required. The government has also not clarified on an alternative way of talaq. It hasn’t specified on divorce only through court laws,” said Inamdar.
