Someone has rightly opined that the world as God created was a kingdom of right relationships. There was right relationship between God and people. There was right relationship between people and the rest of creation. There was right relationship between people. There was right relationship between man and woman.
Since the advent of society, the concept of marriage has changed several times over. The change has been gradual and not always readily acceptable to the society at large. The system of marriage has changed from forceful cohabitation to swayamwar to arranged marriage to love marriage. And now the concept of Live-in relationship is creeping up.
Live-in-relationships are not new in our society. The only difference is that now people have become open about it.
Although this concept is very common in the west, India is new to this idea; and not very ready for it emotionally, socially and legally. There are ample of arguments for and against the concept floating around. The gen-x is more open to this idea and feels this the step towards checking the compatibility before taking the final plunge. As a matter of fact this generation seems to be impressed by this idea. Many people have equated living together before marriage to taking a car for a test drive.
If an analysis is made of need of such relationships, avoiding responsibility would emerge as the prime reason. The lack of commitment, the disrespect of social bonds and the lack of tolerance in relationships have given rise to alternative to marriages.
But what are the effects of this arrangement?
Socially, the society stills look down upon it and is considered a stigma. No family happily accepts the fact that their son or daughter is in a live-in relationship. In India, the marriages are still considered sacred socially and ethically. Morally it is always the girl who has to bear the stigma.
Legally, the worst has already been seen. It is common knowledge that separation is too easy in a live-in relationship and are hence, prone to end prematurely. Emotionally, the break-up is as draining as divorce. After a few years of relationship, when the couple gets separated, the once beautiful relation becomes a matter of rape litigation. The same emotion of love is given the name of rape invariably the guy is at the receiving end.
In case the parties to live-in-relationship decide to move out of it, to secure rights of child whom none of the parents want to keep, there must be a provision that any of them would be responsible to look after the child. Need for a legal provision is felt to secure the future of a child born from a relationship which has not taken the shape of marriage. The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 gives the status of a legitimate child to every child whether result of void, voidable or valid marriage. But the social stigma may overburden the legal equality.
In the Indian context where emotions and family values have far more importance than in west; live-in relationship has more drawback than benefits.
This is a very sensitive subject and this is my view which in no way is to pronounce the judgement.
It is an individual’s call to take the plunge either way!
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