Seems like Rajasthan’s State Human Right Commission (SHRC) has found a new way to irk people and yes it’s pathetic. As per an order passed by Rajsthan SHRC on Wednesday, if you are an adult woman in a live-in relationship, you are probably a ‘concubine,’ which means a woman who lives with a man but doesn’t get the same “stature as his wife”.
The Rajsthan SHRC notably passed an order urging the state and central government to formulate laws that mandate registration of couples who want to live together without tying the knot. Although SHRC’s intentions seemed like they were concerned about the rights of women in a live-in relationship, however, their “concubine” remark has left the netizens irked.
The order was passed by the Commission’s chairperson, Prakash Chandra Tatia, a former Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, and SHRC member Mahesh Chandra Sharma, a former Rajasthan High Court judge.
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“It is the responsibility of the government and human rights organizations to protect women from the harms of live-in relationship through intensive awareness campaigns,” the order read.
“Keeping a woman as a concubine is against her dignity because this word tantamount to character assassination. For a woman, life as a concubine is not right to life and such a woman cannot protect her fundamental rights,” the Commission added.
Besides a registration process, the commission also wants the government to organize mandatory counseling in case the couple wants to part ways. Thinkable!!
Live-In A Legal Affair
For the inundated, Supreme Court last year held that adult couples can stay together without tying the knot. Women under such circumstances are protected under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005. Moreover, live-in couples enjoy full rights to adopt children if they wish to.
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Meanwhile, the choice of words by Rajasthan Rights Body obviously received backlash from not only citizens but also from several rights authorities. Former Chairperson of Women Rights Commission, Lad Kumari Jain, said creating awareness against live-in relationships is a “wrong move”, as it’s the choice of partners.
