Triple talaq rate on rise in 'progressive' Kerala
- Triple talaq cases are on a rise in northern Kerala.
- Some women even attempt suicide after getting divorce though triple talaq.
- The practice violates the rights and dignity of women and children
FollowA day after Centre filed an affidavit before Supreme Court opposing the triple talaq, several Muslim organisations in Kerala have come up in support of government stand demanding an end to the discriminatory practice. Muslim women's organisations in the forefront against the unilateral divorce through oral talaq say that the practice is on the rise in Kerala that boasts of being the most progressive in the country.
Also read: Triple talaq case: Centre opposes practice, submits affidavit to SC
Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), an organisation of Muslim women seeking equal rights and NISA a group working for the empowerment of Muslim women in Kerala have sought abolition of declaring oral divorce through triple talaq, terming it un-Quranic and unjust.
The arbitrary practice rampant in the community has made life miserable for several Muslim women in Kerala, regrets the organisations. In Malappuram and Kozhikode, two districts where Muslims constitute a majority, as many as 50 women approach the court every month seeking justice after they get dumped talaq Nama (divorce notice) by post or over the phone.
However, majority women do not dare to move court, according to Kerala Muslim Mahila Andolan (KMMA), an organisation fighting for the rights of Muslim women. "Women who got divorced in triple talaq often lead a lonely life, and some even attempt suicide. We are demanding an amendment to the Sharia Law based on the Quran," Hajira, a volunteer of KMMA said. The practice goes against the rights and dignity of women while it affects the future of their children. Women, who shy away from approaching the courts are denied alimony and maintenance for children.
Read more: Kerala Woman's lone protest against triple talaq
But not all victims are ready to take it lying down. Recently, a woman who got divorced through triple talaq staged a sit-in along with her two-year-old child, in front of the house of her husband in Kozhikode. These lone protests, however, do not make any difference in the lives of the hapless women who get deserted one fine morning.
The debate over triple talaq once again gained prominence after the Centre pushing for a Uniform Civil Code. In October 2015, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of gender discrimination among Muslims in the case of divorce and polygamy practised by the community. Subsequently, several other petitions of triple talaq also came before the court requesting abolition of the age-old practice in the Muslim community.
