Women’s rights activists expressed doubts over the government’s move to criminalise triple talaq, terming it as arbitrary, during a discussion at the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh on Tuesday.
The debate, organised by non-government organisation Bebaak Collective, was attended by activists Razia Patel, Sandhya Gokhale and Hasina Khan, activist and co-editor of Comunalism Combat Javed Anand, and advocate Mihir Desai.
Bebaak Collective said that after the judgement around Shayara Bano in August 2017, the government was for the first time seen to be willing to criminalise instant triple talaq citing gender rights. The organisation said the “arbitrary and repressive” move would only end up affecting Muslim women and children.
‘Hasty decision’
Ms. Patel said, “This step has been hurriedly taken without asking the opinion of women’s rights groups and other civil society stakeholders.”
Ms. Gokhale said the increasing tendency of the government to use criminalisation as an arbitrary tool to allegedly tackle issues of gender rights is a grave concern. “The current government’s understanding of gender issues as conspicuous on other occasions reeks of political masculinity and limited understanding of lived realities,” she said.
Ms. Khan, who heads Bebaak Collective, said instant criminalisation of any practice does not equate to gender rights, and that the law making process should always be participatory. “Our appeal to Members of Parliament is not to hastily pass this legislation, but to reflect on its repercussions through meaningful consultations with a broad range of stakeholders, particularly women’s groups,” she said.
