Triple Talaq Bill: Some hail it, some cry foul

The passage of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, commonly known as the Triple Talaq Bill, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday evoked varied reactions.

While Shayara Bano, whose petition led to Supreme Court setting aside the practice of talaq-e-biddat, or instant triple talaq, felt happy for her stand getting vindicated in the Parliament, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) termed it 'a political stunt' that would fail to provide succour to Muslim women.

Speaking to DNA on phone, Shayara Bano said, "It is a big step that would lead to improvement in the situation of Muslim women. Now, Muslim women and other people should also come forward against the vices of Halala and polygamy."

Bano, however, said the government should also include some positive changes that have been proposed by the opposition parties like providing alimony to the woman during the time her husband is in jail.

Dr Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, a member of the AIMPLB, termed the legislation as a political stunt orchestrated by the BJP at the time of elections.

"Can anyone think that the BJP, which is not taking a stand on mob lynching of minorities, in any way want emancipation of Muslim women and all the opposition parties are anti-Muslim women? This current legislation is full of faults and would lead to strife in Muslim society," said Dr Ilyas.

The biggest flaw, he said, is the legislation turns a civil matter into a criminal one by providing non-bailable immediate arrest of the husband on a complaint.

"If the BJP is so much concerned about women, why does it bring a law for all the Hindu women who are left by their husbands and neither can marry or go back to him. What about maintenance allowance for the woman when the husband is in jail for three years?" asked Dr Ilyas.

The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) hailed the development as a big step forward towards providing Muslim women equal status.

Its co-founder Noorjahan Safia Niaz said their next move will be to bring modifications in other lop-sided Sharia laws on Halala, a method of divorce, succession and maintenance etc.

We need equality as per the constitution not on the basis of interpretation of Sharia laws by Mullahs, added Niaz.

AIMIM leader, Asaduddin Owaisi claimed the bill will not give justice to Muslim women but would lead to more injustice.

He said the Supreme Court judgment declaring talaq-e-biddat ultra vires was enough and the Bill in its present form can lead to several complications. It can also lead to punishing innocents, removing the scope of amicable settlement by the family and subjecting women to financial crisis.