Live-in relationships: Interventions and reactions

There are arguments and counter arguments in favour of live-in arrangements. The practice though has limited presence but it is gaining popularity among youth to avoid complicated human relationships created through institutionalised marriages..

INDIAN TRADITION provides for all types of marriage relationships that are formal and informal as categorised in the mythologies and other traditional folk stories. One among such eight type of marriage is ‘Gandharva Vivaha’ defined as a relationship similar to a live-in relationship. Another way of going out of bindings of marriage is by disowning the ‘Mangalsutra’ knotted by one person and getting a brand new one from another. This practice is widespread across India even to date with different names in all states.
To end abuse against women, the Supreme Court finally announced early this year that live-in arrangements, lasting for long periods would be considered as good as a marriage and hence children borne out of such relationship are not illegitimate.
Now Maharashtra government bringing this under its own purview to prove its commitment towards women’s rights.
There are arguments and counter arguments in favour of live-in arrangements. The practice though has limited presence but it is gaining popularity among youth to avoid complicated human relationships created through institutionalised marriages.
The traditional marriages are now seen as commercial and based on convenience. Financial, fortune and foreign prospects are given prominence and traditional values on man-woman relationships, old age care, joint living with close relatives have vanished altogether.
The much transformed education system, which is becoming more skewed towards employment generation has reduced space for emotional and analytical thinking.
The youth are today looking towards a more flexible and less committed relationship that will not hinder any separations in future. Talking of compensations for women in case of abuse and broken promises, after a while, arise a doubts in the minds of male partners about insensitivity or reliability of their better halves. Already plenty of reports are piled before judicial authorities on misuse of Domestic Violence Act by women.
For live-in relationships, there should be some measures such as solemnising pledge based on pre-agreed terms and conditions for integration and separation by mutual agreement. This can be done before the legal authorities. Governments can frame separate laws inducting schedules and sections related with this practice to avoid any opposition that brews on the grounds of social, cultural and conservative and ethnic value concerns. The law can be framed with larger consultations and involvement of sociologists, legal luminaries and constitutional experts and public to set off any disputes that may arise in future.