Activists working for the rights of Muslim women hope that the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 set to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament will further help stem instances of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat).
In fact they say, since the Supreme Court's August verdict declaring instant triple talaq illegal and unconstitutional, the instances of such talaq have gone down.
Noorjahan Deewan, a social worker who works with Muslim women in the city said since the verdict, they have received three such complaints. "In two of them we managed to convince the husband that instant talaq was not valid and they agreed. Unfortunately, in the third case the religious leaders and others too got involved and said the divorce was valid," said Deewan.
She said overall the number of complaints about triple talaq have gone down considerably after SC verdict. There has been considerable awareness among Muslims about what is acceptable and not acceptable form of divorce.
"It is not that it has stopped completely, but earlier we would receive so many cases but now they have gone down. Earlier, not many knew of the divorce but now many realise that instant triple talaq is no more valid," she said.
She believes that the introduction of the bill that makes instant talaq a non cognisable offence with provision of imprisonment will help further reduce such cases.
Sharifaben Chippa, another activist of Aman Biradari too agrees about the drop in cases of instant talaq after the SC verdict.
"Earlier, we used to get so many cases and it was difficult to convince people but with the verdict the cases have gone down," said Chippa.
Zakia Soman, founder of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) and a co-petitioner in the triple talaq case in SC, said the bill once passed will definitely act as a deterrent. But she fears it may not be enough. "The SC verdict was welcome but it did not lay out a procedure for divorce. The bill is yet to be made public but we want it to be just and fair. The wife should also have a say in divorce, maintenance and efforts to reconcile," said Soman.
BETTER TIMES?
- Since the Supreme Court’s August verdict declaring instant triple talaq illegal and unconstitutional, the instances of such talaq have gone down.
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