MRA, SIFF up in arms against new bill on marriage law
Men’s activists have threatened to carry out nationwide demonstrations outside the houses of those Members of Parliament who support the new Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010.
The Men’s Rights Association (MRA) and Save India Family Foundation (SIFF) terms the bill as extremely anti-male, anti-husband and anti-marriage that seeks to incentivise divorce. They have opposed discussion on the bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament as they feel not enough discussion have been done while formulating the bill.
Both the groups insist that the bill, which gives divorced women an equal stake in the husbands’ ancestral property, will result in several damaging results, such as a men being scared of marriage. They also say that it gives the women an unfair advantage. The activists have even declared that not only will they not vote for any MPS who vote in favour of the bill, but also will agitate outside their houses.
MRA’s city president Atit Rajpara said that since the past two weeks, they had met at least 45 Mps and the city Mayor who gave them a memorandum opposing the act. “We will sit outside MPs and politicians who will be seen advocating this Act, and ask them to adopt us and give a share from their properties,” he said.
According to the new law, the wife is entitled to have a share in the husband’s inherited property during the divorce. The decision regarding the monthly spousal support and how the property is to be divided has to be decided by the judges.
SIFF and MRA have asked the government to revise the law and not to table it in the current session of Parliament. The NGOs have also called for a more gender-neutral law that calculates the alimony depending on the woman’s contribution to the household and the duration of the marriage, among other things.
SIFF president Rajesh Vakharia said, “Any marriage law amendment has to be seen in a horrified manner taking into account other laws like shared monthly alimony, parenting, child support and others. The decision has been taken in haste. This will not curb the crime but instead may get misused. There is no provision where a woman will have to compensate to husband and his family if she woman misuse the law. If this act is passed, men will be pinned for life. The man will have to keep paying alimony to his divorced wife even after parting with his own property and ancestral property.”
Today, a man gets married mostly at the age 30, as he waits to become financially stable, with a fair salary, lot of savings and a house. If this act is passed, a male and his family will lose all this in case of a divorce. Females get concession even in income tax, Vakharia explained.
Rajpara said, “We are already witnessing many fake and extortion cases filed by women. The cases are pending for years and if this act comes men will stop marrying. This act was adopted by China, but was ruled out in 2010 after it’s widespread misuse resulted into males in China afraid of marriages. I don’t understand why such atrocities against Hindu husbands only? As per the provisions, the husband will pay 50 per cent property in case of a divorce. The remaining 50 per cent will be lost in the endless court battles. We all need a single civil matrimonial law that applies to all Indians irrespective of religion and gender. Such biased laws will lead to men committing suicide or killing wives instead of fighting legally.”
d_chaitraly@dnaindia.net
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=50143&boxid=17046&ed_date=2013-8-11&ed_code=820040&ed_page=3#.Ugb5l2_X5b8.gmail
Men’s activists have threatened to carry out nationwide demonstrations outside the houses of those Members of Parliament who support the new Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010.
The Men’s Rights Association (MRA) and Save India Family Foundation (SIFF) terms the bill as extremely anti-male, anti-husband and anti-marriage that seeks to incentivise divorce. They have opposed discussion on the bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament as they feel not enough discussion have been done while formulating the bill.
Both the groups insist that the bill, which gives divorced women an equal stake in the husbands’ ancestral property, will result in several damaging results, such as a men being scared of marriage. They also say that it gives the women an unfair advantage. The activists have even declared that not only will they not vote for any MPS who vote in favour of the bill, but also will agitate outside their houses.
MRA’s city president Atit Rajpara said that since the past two weeks, they had met at least 45 Mps and the city Mayor who gave them a memorandum opposing the act. “We will sit outside MPs and politicians who will be seen advocating this Act, and ask them to adopt us and give a share from their properties,” he said.
According to the new law, the wife is entitled to have a share in the husband’s inherited property during the divorce. The decision regarding the monthly spousal support and how the property is to be divided has to be decided by the judges.
SIFF and MRA have asked the government to revise the law and not to table it in the current session of Parliament. The NGOs have also called for a more gender-neutral law that calculates the alimony depending on the woman’s contribution to the household and the duration of the marriage, among other things.
SIFF president Rajesh Vakharia said, “Any marriage law amendment has to be seen in a horrified manner taking into account other laws like shared monthly alimony, parenting, child support and others. The decision has been taken in haste. This will not curb the crime but instead may get misused. There is no provision where a woman will have to compensate to husband and his family if she woman misuse the law. If this act is passed, men will be pinned for life. The man will have to keep paying alimony to his divorced wife even after parting with his own property and ancestral property.”
Today, a man gets married mostly at the age 30, as he waits to become financially stable, with a fair salary, lot of savings and a house. If this act is passed, a male and his family will lose all this in case of a divorce. Females get concession even in income tax, Vakharia explained.
Rajpara said, “We are already witnessing many fake and extortion cases filed by women. The cases are pending for years and if this act comes men will stop marrying. This act was adopted by China, but was ruled out in 2010 after it’s widespread misuse resulted into males in China afraid of marriages. I don’t understand why such atrocities against Hindu husbands only? As per the provisions, the husband will pay 50 per cent property in case of a divorce. The remaining 50 per cent will be lost in the endless court battles. We all need a single civil matrimonial law that applies to all Indians irrespective of religion and gender. Such biased laws will lead to men committing suicide or killing wives instead of fighting legally.”
d_chaitraly@dnaindia.net
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=50143&boxid=17046&ed_date=2013-8-11&ed_code=820040&ed_page=3#.Ugb5l2_X5b8.gmail
