Mirage or Marriage: thought-provoking seminar held in Delhi focuses attention on the scenario of pre-planned divorce in India
Upcoming trend of forethought divorces and ways for protection highlighted at the event
January 5th 2018, New Delhi: An informative and educative discourse on “Mirage or Marriage: destined marriage and forethought divorce” was held on Friday in the national capital, addressing policy-level contemplation on the changing dynamics in our society regarding marital relationships leading to pre-planned exits from marriages, and the remedies available as per the Indian Law. The event was curated by Amritam Charitable Trust, and jointly organized in collaboration with the prestigious Indian Habitat Center, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, and ace High Court advocates, law practitioners, and members of the legal fraternity.
Hon’ble Ms Justice Hima Kohli of Delhi High Court graced the occasion as chief guest. Notable panelists present at the event includedMr. Sidharth Luthra, Senior Advocate; Dr. Achal Bhagat, Senior Consultant PsychiatristMs. Goldy Malhotra, Educationist; Ms. Gayatri Puri: Advocate, Ms. Deepika V Marwah; Advocate and Media partner Ms. Binny Yadav.
Delivering the welcome address and putting things in perspective, Ms. Promila Badhwar, Amritam Charitable Trust said, “In recent times, we have noticed that forethought or pre-planned divorces are creating unrest in the society, specially youth, who are getting abundantly sensitive about stepping into the beautiful institution of marriage, as they see the wave of planned abandoning of spouses everywhere around. Through today’s deliberations, we will be trying to address this problem, as well as look for reasons and solutions to the same.”
Elucidating her point of view on the subject, Ms. Gayatri Puri, Advocate noted, “ The new indulgence of people into planning their divorces to curb the rights of their spouses is creating a sense of insecurity amongst the society at large.Our ultimate goal is to bring together bright minds and best practices to foster learning, and inspire meaningful conversations on social topics that are significant and crucial for the present day. “
As per statistics, divorce rates in our country have gone up from 5% in 1980 to 14% in recent years.
Ms. Deepika V Marwah, Advocate (practicing matrimonial and civil law) said, “50,000 cases of domestic violence are registered annually in our country, whereas only 2 out 100 accused are convicted under section 498 A of IPC (that deals with cruelty to married women, especially dowry related). Under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 parties have the right to file divorce under section 13 on the grounds specified like adultery, cruelty, dissertation, converting faith, leprosy, etc”
The parties to marriages in the 21st century are generally aware of their rights and matrimonial litigations. Being aware of their legal obligations, the parties to marriages can pre-plan exits from marriages to save themselves from the legal duties and complications.
Ms. Binny Yadav, Media Partner (Journalist and Documentary film maker) outlined the responsibility of new-age media in dealing with sensitive issues.
The panel discussion covered the wide arena of matrimonial relationships, psychology involved, and pros and cons of planned separations along with its legal aspects. Luminaries in the field of law explained in detail about the tenets of Hindu marriage act and future possibilities of amendments, the conditions suffered by the parties before and after divorce, and so on. The provisions of Hindu marriage Acts herein and the legal rights and duties of spouses in Hindu marriages were stressed upon. Other holistic aspects such as how children get affected by parental separation and its implications on mental health were also highlighted successfully during the seminar.
