Chandigarh : Live-in relationships are socially and morally not acceptable, the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently observed while declining to grant protection to a couple seeking protection of their life.
The petitioner couple — a 19-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh and a 22-year-old man from Punjab — had moved the High Court seeking directions to Punjab Police to protect their life and liberty from the woman’s family.
The bench of Justice HS Madaan, after hearing the matter said, “As a matter of fact, the petitioners in the garb of filing the present petition are seeking seal of approval on their live-in-relationship, which is morally and socially not acceptable and no protection order in the petition can be passed. The petition stands dismissed accordingly.”
The petitioner couple, through their counsel, advocate J S Thakur, had submitted that they had been in a relationship for the past four years. However, the woman’s family was opposed to their inter-caste marriage. Fearing a threat to their lives and liberty, they ran away from their house. They sought protection from the court in order to proceed with their wedding.
The petitioners told the court that after being threatened by the woman’s family members, they had given a representation in April to the concerned SSP of Punjab Police through email. Since they continued to receive threats, they decided to approach the High Court for protection and security.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/live-in-relationship-morally-socially-not-acceptable-punjab-hc-7319986/?utm_source=newzmate&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eveningbrief&tqid=guHmN3g8BRIBH8Xj3lrRluiW.KVv4brlfMAhxYyY
Child marriage is considered as a sort of culture or tradition among some castes or sects. As the progressive thoughts have worked against it, there is a law forbidding child marriage. “ Living together”— is it forming part of a culture that can be ascribed to a caste or sect or religion or State in India ? Till a justice of the Supreme Court opined that “ living together” was not illegal , it was not considered as something very acceptable. Now one High Court vehemently oppose the practice and hold that it is not morally and socially acceptable.
Taking the culture of the people of India as a whole, it is felt that the Court has correctly pronounced this judgment. It may only wound the culture of marriage held as something special or divine by most of the people. It may lead to more complications— regarding separation, the children being looked at as bastards, more fights and court cases and wholesale disturbance . Opinions may divide, but the stability of family is vital for all kinds of growth of a people and Nation.
This is absurd. Courts are expected to address legalities, not morality, as in the present case.