31 December 2018•Update: 31 December 2018
By Ahmad Adil
CHANDIGARH, India
The upper house of Indian Parliament witnessed uproar and calls by several political parties for formation of a committee to clear a bill moved by the government to make “triple talaq” (instant divorce) a criminal for Muslim men.
Last week, the lower house (Lok Sabha) of the Parliament passed an amended Triple Talaq bill, Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, amid by several parties, before the vote to clear the bill. Before, the bill becomes a law it has to be passed in Rajya Sabha, the upper house.
Triple Talaq -- the practice of Muslim men to instantly divorce their wives by uttering "Talaq" thrice -- was declared "unconstitutional" by the Indian Supreme Court in 2017.
On Monday, as the proceedings of the upper house began, the revised bill was stalled in Rajya Sabha after uproar by the opposition parties over the issue.
The opposition parties in the country are against a provision in the bill for a three-year-jail term and a fine for the offending husbands.
According to Hindustan times, some opposition leaders demanded that the three-year jail term reduced.
On Monday, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, said in the parliament, “This is such an important bill which can positively or negatively affect the lives of crores of people can’t be passed just like this without going to a select committee.”
However, Indian Minister of State for Parliamentary Affair Vijay Goel criticized the opposition parties for stalling the bill and “they had no sympathy for the Muslim women.”
Background
In December 2017, the triple Talak bill was brought by the and was then passed in the lower house of the parliament. However, it remained pending in the upper house, where it faced .
In September 2018, the Indian government issued an ordinance, criminalizing the “triple talaq” practice, and incorporated some amendments. An ordinance has a validity time of six months. Also, when the session of the parliament begins, has to be replaced by a bill.
The government this month brought a revised Triple bill in parliament which was passed by Lok Sabha last week. Now, it has been stalled again in Rajya Sabha.
"The original bill, introduced and passed in the Lok Sabha on December 28, 2017, made instant divorce a non-bailable ; the government amended the bill to make it bailable after confronting criticism and political protests," a report by Hindustan Times said.
Several Indian politicians and activists continue to criticize the bill.
On Monday, former Jammu and Kashmir chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), “wants to divide Muslim families through Triple Talaq bill.”
“After creating division on religious and sectarian lines, now wants to divide Muslim families through Triple Talaq bill. With economic onslaught on Muslims through curbs on meat and leather, the social crisis TT bill can cause, will impoverish them further,” she said.
“Muslims pride themselves for strong family structure and bonding. Same is true of other religions in the East, which is considered as an advantage over the Western culture. This bill is a direct assault on that,” Mufti added.
