Divorce is the tragic suicide of a marriage that kills the hopes
and dreams, not only of the partners, but also of the children. It means
dissolution of the marital bond. Technically speaking, divorce means a decree
of dissolution of marriage. Divorce is a process through which marital bond
ceases to be in existence as per law and the couple can no longer be called the
husband or the wife.
Divorce was once a social stigma, now it has become increasingly
popular in recent years. It is seen that married couples are walking away from
their marriages for varied reasons. Earlier, there were very few cases of
divorce and the main causes were adultery and domestic violence. In most cases,
the women continued with their broken marriage for the sake of fear, kids and
money. But, nowadays, women do not hesitate to call off their marriages. The
rising trend is seen not only in the metropolises but also in the semi-urban
and smaller cities, including the rural areas, where there may not be divorce
in legal terms but women are seen living separately.
There are as many causes for divorce as there are people who
divorce. Divorce itself is both a cause and an effect. There are many factors
that contribute to divorce, such as Adultery : When either of the
two is involved in sexual relationship outside marriage.Cruelty:
When the man or the woman is subjected to any kind of physical and mental
injury.Desertion: When one partner abandons the other for at
least a period of two years. Conversion: Forced conversion of
religion.Mental disorder: If one partner suffers from mental
disorder/insanity or from a serious communicable diseases.Leprosy :
If one of the partners suffers from incurable form of leprosy.Renunciation:
If a spouse renounces all worldly affairs.Conjugal rights:
Failure in observing conjugal rights for 2 years or more.
The divorce rate in India has been increasing since 1960. Change
in attitudes towards divorce is a part of the process of secularization in
Indian society. Secularization is nothing but the declining influence of
religion. Marriage in traditional Hindu society was considered as a sacred
bond. Hinduism insisted that the bond of marriage is not only for this life,
but for many lives to come. But gradually Hindus have started taking less rigid
view in this regard due to their secular beliefs and values.
Till 1990 or up to 2000, the basic perceptions were, a divorced
woman is means she is a liberated women and a divorced men means he is a wife beater/abuser,
thanks to special law 498A in 1983. But 2000 onwards the same got changed and
the society slowly accepted that A divorced men also can be victims of Domestic
violence in terms of financial abuse, mental abuse, sexual abuse , physical
abuse.
Marriage is an institution which is important for the sustenance
of the structure of the society. No two humans are same. There are always the
positive and negative points of an individual. First of all, it is important to
make a wise decision when one is getting married. Sincere efforts to make the
marriage flourish should be done. And, in case, everything seems to fall apart,
it is always better to let the things rest in peace and start the life afresh.
[UTSAV DATTA]
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