In an effort to provide security to married women, the Sheila Dikshit government has cleared a draft Bill that will soon make marriage registration mandatory for newly married couples in the capital. The Delhi Registration of Marriage Bill 2007 provides for a penalty of `1,000 on those who do not register their marriage within 60 days.
Delhiites welcome this move to register their marriages. So far, only Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh have made marriage registration compulsory.
Divya Joshi Tiwari, PR executive, who got married recently, says she hasn’t registered her marriage yet. “Due to lack of time and busy schedule, I haven’t been able to register my marriage although I have started the formalities. I do believe this draft Bill will act as an authentication and proof. It is evident that many women do not get justice because they don’t have a proof of their marriage. Once marriage registration becomes mandatory, people will take it seriously and will give it priority. In any unforeseen situation, marriage documents do come in handy. This will certainly be a boon for a woman, if she finds herself in a difficult situation.”
Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research, says that the women group has been demanding the same from a long time. “For a woman whose husband is having an extra-marital affair, or is going in for a second marriage, without a marriage document, it is difficult for a woman to prove she is married. Also, when it comes to claiming property, in some cases widows have not been able to establish that they were married.”
Media professional, Ruchika Kumar, who has registered her marriage, says, “This Bill is definitely a breather to many women who have been hoodwinked into false marriage alliances in the past. Plus, it would also prevent child marriage and even domestic violence to quite an extent, hopefully the rest of the country should follow suit. This needs to be implemented more so in backward and rural areas, where women are not aware of their basic rights. Delhi Government should hold camps to educate and register marriages for those women especially. The law should be implemented irrespective of religion and a time should come when the non-registered marriages will be treated as unlawful. If people have a lot of time to spend on their weddings and preparation, I’m sure they can spare a few hours on this as well.”
Agrees Shriya Sharma, public relations executive, and strongly advocates women to take the first step towards securing themselves. “I got married in the court and did not have any other form of ceremony. But nothing is more concrete than a civil ceremony and yes it does add to the security factor for a woman.”
It’s understandable that some may not find the time to register their marriage, but if the process is made simpler and mandatory it will change mindset.
Pragati Vedanta, professional, says, “I was keen to register my marriage and it’s a decision every couple must make. If a wife is aware of her legal rights, this will help stop a man from taking her for granted.”
Ranjana adds, “It’s not just for rural women, but also for urban women, who do not know their rights. It’s a mistake not to get a marriage registered.”