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Shabnam (name changed) is confused about her marital status. She doesn’t know whether she is still married or has been divorced by her husband. The reason for such an ambiguity is a single-page document that the cleric sent her, stating that the divorce has been done with mutual consent as Shabnam’s husband was not willing to take her back.
Shabnam, a resident of a Muslim neighbourhood at Topsia in Kolkata, got married in 2007, but her husband revealed to her on the very first day of marriage that he was already having an affair and was forced into marriage by his parents. He abandoned her in 2010 after three years of a tempestuous relationship.
Shabnam who offers namaz (prayers) during most part of the day, is of the view that the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 passed by the Lok Sabha is indeed a good step by the Centre, but more should be done to teach a fitting lesson to such men who consider women as furniture that can be replaced:
She further stressed on the importance of changing the mindset of the society that considers a divorced woman as “untouchable.”
While many, among those The Quint spoke to, expressed happiness over the new law, few suggested that the focus should shift on those women who would shoulder the responsibility of raising children after the arrest of their husbands for uttering ‘talaq’ thrice.
“It is no doubt a commendable initiative taken by the government, but one should also think about those women whose husbands would be jailed for the offence”, said Zeba Parveen, a homemaker and mother of two minor girls at Park Circus area of Kolkata.
Her husband, Md Asif, a government school teacher, aired his concerns regarding Clause 7 of the bill that states triple talaq as a cognisable and non-bailable offence:
He also raised serious objections against triple talaq being declared a criminal offence when divorce matters under the Indian law are being taken up in civil courts.
The clerics, however, are displeased with the bill and claim it to be an unnecessary intervention in the Sharia law which they regard as the law of Allah, “We would not tolerate any law against Islam”, says Md Falahuddin, the cleric of Lal Masjid in Topsia.
What has surprised a section of the Muslim community is the reaction of the ruling party Trinamool Congress that has maintained a stoic silence in Lok Sabha.
Political analysts have termed the stand taken by the TMC as ‘diplomatic silence’ of the party in view of the current political scenario in the state:
He further said that the TMC cannot afford to upset its Hindu vote bank, especially when BJP is on the rise in Bengal as demonstrated by its impressive show in South Contai and recently concluded Sabang bypolls where it gave a good fight to the TMC candidates.
(The writer is a Kolkata-based freelance journalist. He can be reached @gurus3398.)
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