The Hindu : Govt. cracks the whip on `muttah' weddings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 11, 2003

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Govt. cracks the whip on `muttah' weddings

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 10. The Government, taking a serious note of exploitation of young girls by tourists, has issued instructions to discourage `muttah' or short-duration marriages prevalent among Muslims.

The External Affairs Ministry has written to all embassies here and the Indian embassies abroad to discourage the `muttah' marriages which often ended in exploitation of young girls and women. The tradition involves marriage with a young girl for a short term on payment of money by the groom. Although, it is allowed in Islam, to prevent women from exploitation under difficult conditions, the practice is now being followed by tourists from the Middle-East while holidaying in India.

The chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Poornima Advani, told reporters here today that the matter had been raised with the Centre and the External Affairs Ministry had sent a letter informing them about the instructions issued by it. "The tourists often gave huge amounts of money to young girls while in India and then left them to their fate. Many of them ended being pregnant,'' Ms. Advani pointed out. Once the term of `marriage' ended, the man had no legal or social responsibility towards the girl.

Just back from a visit of Madhya Pradesh, Ms. Advani said the Muslim women there had demanded more knowledge about the rights given to them under the Shariat. Though the women have enough rights, lack of knowledge deprived them of their dues. Many had expressed a desire for registration of marriages and divorces to safeguard their interest. One suggestion that came up was that women's rights should be announced publicly after Friday namaz and a woman should be entitled to maintenance after divorce until the time she re-married.

The NCW also took up the matter of increasing number of women indulging in dacoities in the `dacoit-prone' areas of Madhya Pradesh, bordering Uttar Pradesh. "The Madhya Pradesh Government is planning a meeting with the Uttar Pradesh Government on the issue. We feel that women are being forced into non-legitimate relationships and deeds in these areas," Ms. Advani said.

Another good news for women was that the Railway Ministry had given instructions to ensure better safety for passengers. The issue was taken up by the NCW with the Railway Minister and he had responded appropriately, she said.

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