Talaq Bill – Hasty and Sinister: SDPI

New Delhi, 29 December 2017: Social Democratic Party of India, in a press statement issued here today alleged that the Talaq-bill passed by Loka Sabha yesterday, wherein instant triple talaq has been criminalized, is hasty and ill-intentional. SDPI National President A Sayeed observed that if this bill becomes a law it will surely prove counterproductive for the very women it claims to protect.

There is no doubt that triple talaq is a practice that has been carelessly used for want of creative intervention from the part of religious and community leaders. It has been an issue and concern in the secular sector also. Certainly there had been demand for an enactment and a law to strengthen Muslim Women’s rights. But it doesn’t mean to criminalize a social practice encouraging conflict between man and the woman. Further, the divorced woman will be left helpless without the maintenance and rights that the law is supposed to provide her, if her husband is sent into jail. The bill now passed by Loka Sabha will bring serious consequences that contradict the concept of women empowerment, A Sayeed pointed out.

Sayeed reiterated that the bill passed by Loka Sabha stipulate that a man found guilty of the same be sent to jail for a three year non-bailable term. In the current social situation wherein lack of ethics and truthfulness is widely felt, an innocent man can be locked in jail for a mere allegation of triple talaq, until proven otherwise. It can be noticed that many of the elites including political leaders from have married second time or thrice, while polygamy is illegal in the country, without being named or booked as criminals. They were exempted on consideration of the social practice prevailed in their communities. It doesn’t mean that Muslim women are to be left to face their own fate arisen by misuse of provisions in the personal law. But scientific and balanced steps are to be taken by the government to control social practices.

Sayeed said, criminalization of a social practice with a non-bailable jail term raises questions about the intention behind it, especially in the present social-situation where those who have made videos of themselves attacking and killing members of the minority community, are easily released on bail or not even arrested. Culprits are often glorified by communal terror groups, as champions.

Social Democratic Party of India demand that the government shall reconsider the bill and come in to a consensus with the community leaders in the light of the Supreme Court verdict making triple talaq null and void. The court verdict itself has brought in a remedy for the issue and the situation does not warrant for enactment of a criminal law.