Rising divorce rates in India are a matter of concern
By AtulMalikram (Social Worker)
According to Hindu scriptures, marriage is a sacrament, but in the last few years, there has been a sharp rise in the trend of separation of young married couples. Although the divorce rate in India is less than two percent, the trend of divorce among Indian youth has been increasing rapidly. Not even a month into the marriage, the young couples knock on court doors with a divorce petition. But why? Why does a sacred institution like marriage is turning into a joke? I do not want to go too deep into this subject, but in view of the existing social structure, this is a matter of concern.
Commitment issues, family pressures, and lack of maturity are mainly responsible for the separation among young couples. In India, after a couple ties the knot, the daughter-in-law moves into her husband’s house to live with his family. The family who was very amiable about the girl’s job and aspirations, start singing a different tune soon after the marriage. They start having issues with the girl, her job, and her lifestyle and try to bind her in the chains of social prejudices and regressive customs.
Divorce cases are increasing among the youth; so undoubtedly, a large educated class is becoming a part of it. Mostly because the families try to control their daughter-in-law and her life. The families probably fail to understand that in this era, both the husband and wife are independent individuals and have separate incomes. They both need to be treated on equal grounds. So, when they start suppressing the daughter-in-law by asking her to do unnecessary household chores, forcing her to leave her job, etc, it creates issues between the married couple and the families.
Women also face the pressure to conceive early. Families often try to influence couples to start family planning. This also leads to arguments and depression. Needless to say, time contributes majorly to strengthening a relationship. In such a situation, when an independent girl who has lived life according to her terms till now, is asked to do every little thing to her in-laws’ bidding, it creates a mental and emotional breakdown and weakens her relationship with her husband and family.
These are some of the issues that severely affect relationships. In such situations, we have to resolve the issues by ourselves. Parents need to be transparent about their wishes and expectations right from the beginning. While fixing the marriage of their son or daughter, they should all be open about the possible scenarios that may happen in the foreseeable future. I want to urge the boy’s families to decide what they want in their daughter-in-law before marriage. If you want a working woman, then you need to accept her aspirations and vice versa. The young couple should have enough time before marriage to understand the lifestyle of their would-be partner. Moreover, the pressure to have a baby can put an immense emotional strain on any couple. Families should not pressurize couples to conceive. Such kind of pressure can ruin relationships to the core.
Third and most important, couples need to find a common ground where they can share their problems and work on them. They should understand that apart from being husband and wife, they are individuals with their aspirations and dreams. Remember, a healthy relationship needs proper communication, compassion, understanding, and trust to survive.