Any sensible person would agree that the practice of triple talaq needs to be abolished because of the way it results in the abuse of women ( >Editorial, Sept. 8 ). It is unfortunate that the real issue here — of gender injustice — is sought to be smudged by giving it a communal colour. As expected, there are some persons who have labelled the women who petitioned the Supreme Court against triple talaq as biased. When criminal laws such as the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace Act are uniform to all Indians irrespective of their religion, how can personal laws be different?
Padmini Raghavendra,
Secunderabad
Muslims in India are governed by the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937. After Independence, relevant laws have been introduced or amended aimed at improving the lot of women from Hindu and minority communities. However, the 1937 Act has remained static. The ease with which men can get divorce is unfair. Adherence to archaic tenets of religion has been one of the major causes of poverty and slow progress of Muslims in India.
Y.G. Chouksey,
Pune
The Supreme Court has every right to intervene if any discriminatory and regressive doctrine is prevalent and comes in the way of denying communities access to equal opportunities. No organisation can claim its hegemony over the religion of a society. Women should confront the so-called leaders of the community and challenge them in a befitting manner.
Ashfaq Amir Khan,
Lucknow
Triple talaq is an obnoxious and medieval practice to grant illegal rights to a husband and has absolutely no sanction in the Koran. The Muslim community must come forward and criticise the practice as it has no place in modern society.
Abbas Hasan Naqvi,
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
The arguments advanced by the AIMPLB confirm the regressive and patriarchal mindset of this body claiming to represent all Muslims. The most untenable and indefensible is the stand of how men need the instrument of triple talaq to get rid of their wives in the easiest way possible without legal problems and with no such remedies for women. Surely the highest court should take a gender-neutral and humane view of this treacherous practice and other personal laws affecting the unjust slant towards women, irrespective of what any scriptural interpretation says.
Kasim Sait,
Chennai
This is an opportune moment where the law can be reformed once and for all. This is because of the patriarchal mindset of those in the Muslim Personal Law Board apart from many in the community being less knowledgeable about their own religion. Gender studies show that the sole reason for the backwardness of Muslims is that the women are not empowered. The only way forward is to abandon regressive laws and practices and invest in women’s education and health.
Rahman Sheikh,
Durg, Chhattisgarh
Any religious law which speaks of the suppression of women through any means must be reformed. In this context we need to have a liberal interpretation of not only the Koran but also all religious scriptures. Article 44 is one step that will enable the dignity of women with respect to marriage.
Divyesh A. Borse,
Pune
