Women’s Liberation: HER Right to be Dependent on HIM

This 15th Aug I wished to all my women acquaintances “Happy Independence day and Self Dependent Life” all of them ex-feminists, after understanding my view points agree to this, that ‘yes’ being dependent is not Independence or right. Rather Interdependence is the key in a relationship. But if that is far from existence then yes the second option is independence and definitely not dependence. And above all not being a hurdle to anyone is a good karma.

But again one headline that disturbs all the harmony.

Wives accused of adultery must get alimony: NCW

NEW DELHI: Divorcing your wife may soon cost you more. Advocating big changes in maintenance law for women after divorce, including an alimony hike, the National Commission for Women (NCW) will move Supreme Court for a review of Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Amongst the provisions that the commission wants reviewed is an increase in the amount of interim maintenance.

NCW contends the present amount is paltry for a woman to meet her and children's expenses. It has suggested the amount should not be less than 30% of the husband's monthly income.

The commission also wants the provision that deprives a wife from claiming maintenance if she is living in adultery to be deleted. "This provision is mostly misused and adultery cases framed against a woman to deny her basic expenses," NCW chairperson Girija Vyas said.

The commission has recommended that the section that stops a woman from recovering the maintenance amount on the expiry of one year should also be removed. According to NCW, 60-80% women do not receive maintenance despite court orders.

"The law is misused and very often women are not given even the paltry amount they are entitled to," Vyas said. Another problem women face is that maintenance is paid for sometime and then stopped.

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Is being legally dependant empowerment? I would any day vouch for the orders to maintain the kid and age old parents, but for nothing else in this world of equality.

When we are talking about Mahila courts that means that we are starting the whole issue with a biasness where justice is suppose to happen only when mahila (women) is favored in the verdict else it is injustice. Where would a purush go today? And in that case why not have purush courts too?

Solution: Rather why not have mahila oriented vocational courses in higher end fields like Computer Education (Graphics), Jewellery, Hotel Management, Fashion Technology, Teaching etc. that are affordable and gives a good head start. Further Husband’s responsibility should be to sponsor them as per his capacity so that Real Women Empowerment is practiced. Let private institutions conduct the courses on concession and get Tax Benefits on placing these women after conducting the courses.

Further in the modern world of “one night stands”, lack of clarity on deleting the clause of Non-Payment of alimony to accused adulterous wife only talks about laws to be surpanakha-centric. What disturbs is this suggestion comes out because of sheer fear of misuse of the clause as against the proven misuse in the women favoring laws. Then why an accused in 498a is jailed without proofs? And why is 497 not including the punishment to the adulterous wife? And why does misuse of laws like CrPC 125, 498a, 406, 497 etc that are proven to be misused by women defended? to the extent of deteriorated revision by approaching SC? And why are we silent on 98% proven misuse on the husband’s family.

And when families talk about misuse of wife’s laws, they are being told that “any law is bound to be misused, so be it.” In which case let me reiterate what we are being told, “that any law is bound to be misused”, ok so let us not amend 498a, DV and even the law of alimony to the wife and adulterous wife.

30% of the salary to the wife means dedicating 10 working days of to the month to the wife with no contribution from her in sharing the work stress, and the government share is yet to follow in his salary as a TDS. Tax free ceiling is anyways lower for the male and the Indian women have a benefit there too. So why not encourage women to be on self.

No more Loose Thinking and No more Loose Drafts, we do not want quacks, we want balanced experts to avoid social menace. We need regular review of the laws, we need gender neutral justice. We need real empowerment that is either interdependent or independent. We want National Commission of United Indian Family, that also talks beyond wife and talks about sister and mother and father and males as humans, we do not want anti family commission or Wife-Centric National Commission for Women. We do not want loosely drafted Domestic Violence Bill, we want Domestic Harmony Bill.

We do not want dependency in the name of empowerment, we do not want gender or caste reservations in the name of secularism, want uniform civil code as true representatives of largest democracy of the world.

How did British leave India hollow? Because of Economic Drain in form of taxes (Lagaan for maintenance which was like alimony concept). And what was the survival key? Self Reliance.

Wishing a Real Independence to all of you.

Jinesh.