The bill seeking to make the practice of "triple talaq" a criminal offence was passed by the lower house of the Indian Parliament on Friday evoking a strong response by different sections of society. The bill proposes a three-year jail term for a Muslim husband who marries another woman by simply uttering "Talaq, talaq, talaq" to his wife.
India has been one of the very few countries in the world that recognises polygamy by Muslim men; the other countries being Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore.
The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha after a five-hour debate on Friday. While many lawmakers came out in support of the bill calling it a long overdue move towards ensuring equal rights for Muslim women, there were equally strong arguments against the bill by some leaders of the opposition. The main opposition party, the Congress and the AIADMK walked out of the house during the voting on the bill as a mark of protest.
What a Nation:
Those opposing the bill mainly argued that it was unnecessary meddling into religious affairs of the Muslim community and that a "civil issue" is being turned into a "criminal issue".