Aiming to deter the practicd of triple talaq (instant divorce), All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is set to introduce a new provision in its model ‘nikahnama’ in which the man has to commit that he would not give triple talaq.
The Board will take up the issue during its annual meeting at Hyderabad from February 9. Beside other social issues, the two-day annual general meeting of the Board is likely to deliberate on developments in Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case.
The development comes at a time when the government is making a strong pitch for the passage of a Bill criminalising triple talaq in the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.
Triple talaq is a prevalent practice among Muslims to divorce their wife and is still in practice despite Supreme Court striking it down in August last year.
The AIMPLB maintained that it was against the practice but it opposed the proposed legislation saying it was interference in Muslim personal law. The Board has, however, faced criticism for failing to reform personal laws.
“We are making a provision in the model nikahnama (Islamic marriage contract) in which there will be a column - ‘I will not give triple talaq’. Once this column is ticked, one will not be able to give triple talaq,” AIMPLB spokesman Maulana Khalil-ur-Rehman Sajjad Nomani said.
In this meeting, the progress of the campaign being run against social evils such as triple talaq and dowry will be reviewed. The AIMPLB felt that without social awareness, no system in the country could succeed.
“The Board is running a big campaign in the country. The messengers of the Board will reach every madrassa and mosque and tell people to stay away from social evils like dowry and triple talaq,” he said.
“A progress report will also be sought on the work done and based on this, a plan for the next year will be prepared,” he said.
“Since, the cases of triple talaq happen generally among the less educated, the Board will work hard in rural areas. Students and teachers of madrasas will be included as messengers. Their main job will be to make people aware about evils of dowry and triple talaq. If the need for divorce arises, then one should first contact and consult a cleric and stay away from triple talaq,” Nomani said.
Nomani said that the Board was also using various social media tools in this regard. Rs Rs The AIMPLB is strictly against triple talaq, but in some circumstances, women themselves seek it. People, who are not involved with the (Muslim) society, perceive that all cases of triple talaq are committed by men. This is not true,” Nomani said.
In August, Supreme Court struck down the Islamic practice of instant divorce or ‘talaq- e-biddat’ as arbitrary and unconstitutional. The government later brought Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill which was passed by Lok Sabha on December 28. It seeks to declare instant triple a criminal offence with a provision of up to three years in jail for the husband.
While the government wanted a debate on the Bill in Rajya Sabha, the opposition demanded that it be sent to a Select Committee for scrutiny before it was made a law. The government however maintained that cooperation of all parties has been sought to bring about consensus to ensure the passage of the Bill in the current session.