[We are publishing English rendering of the speech Congress Member of Parliament Ranjeet Ranjan made in Hindu during the debate on Triple Talaq Bill in the Lok Sabha in the interest of our readers. _Editor]
We are discussing a bill that is said to be protective of women. Meenakshiji, Smriti Iraniji, Supriyaji, Sushmitaji have already spoken and I am taking women’s names because it (the issue) is related to us, with marriage and husband is also involved in it. It is not the issue related only to wife but rather to an entire family. I heard the speech from this side and from that side also and will like to speak in brief. Just tell me what the gist of it is. Supriya said that she had talked with some women and I would also like to say that I met my childhood friend after 22 years and she is a Muslim. She is educated and all her family members are Muslims. [Murmuring] Yes, it requires to be said when you people are governing.
First of all, I would like to thank them, that because of this bill, I read the Quran from the heart. In Surah Nisa, it is said that five steps are required to be taken before resorting to divorce. In Surah Baqrah (Ayaat 228-240) how and why to pronounce divorce, how and why it is pronounced, also reasons for the wife, reasons for the husband have been given in detail.
(When) I think the bill which is being debated today and the reason why the bill was introduced, I feel pity that despite the Quran’s advanced teachings on divorce – and I am proud of the Quran – Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi failed to make the community aware of it. It has very advanced rules of divorce and I am proud of the Quran but you (Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi) did not make your community aware of that. Women have also the same right to give talaq. It is clearly given how to maintain the relation of husband and wife, how to involve two families and how to follow these five steps before divorce takes place. Even in three talaqs, they have to spend 90 days together and during the process, if the (menstruation) period stops and thereafter the relation takes place then the whole process has to be repeated again. There can be no finer rules for divorce than this.
On one hand, they did not make their community aware, and (on the other) in the manner they have debated the Triple Talaq they are only doing politics. I want to say that there are so many dowry deaths despite strong laws, Hindu men get other wives even without divorcing the first one and thus violate the law. Why don’t you discuss this all here? Why targeting only Muslims? If one practices divorce wrongly, why target only Muslims, why not Hindus? Why you all don’t debate all this? Why you keep on saying Muslims, Muslims only?
This issue is related to women and related to family members. He is my husband and I am his wife and this is an issue between husband and wife; why you drag it to court. I have seen in my constituency and in Bihar, in Delhi, you can see the survey of many states the percentage of Muslim men who are called vagabond. It is because of two reasons that divorce takes place. If someone is addicted, he can be from Hindu or the Muslim community. If he is a Muslim, he has a process for divorce and if he is non-Muslim, he has his own way to do so. So why you make a law for Muslims only; why not for Hindus? If you talk of percentage, before the Supreme Court and after the Supreme Court in 477 mob lynching how many died you have to debate all this also. How many people died in the name of religion requires also to be debated in this house. In Muzaffarpur (Bihar), 37 girls were raped under your government, your minister supported the accused, why don’t you discuss it? Is it because the victims are Hindu girls? Through this Triple Talq Bill, you want Muslim votes, but you should not be in any illusion that Muslim women will vote you for this rule.”
I want an answer from you as to how you are going to protect women through this bill. If instant triple talaq is given by social media, even Muslim women say it is wrong. Even those who read the Quran also say it is wrong. When they themselves are saying it is wrong, what are you teaching them?
Meenakshiji, I am coming to your debate. You talked of law, you are a lawyer, you have read a lot of Acts, you just tell me, you have made a law that those who give instant triple talaq will be sent to jail. There are women who are marginalised, poor and I have seen that there are troubles and differences in non-Muslim families as compared to Muslim families. What protection you give to a woman after her husband is sent to jail. The magistrate will decide about the compensation. The magistrate will decide where the children would live. The magistrate will decide that the husband will give or not. I say, and it is practical, that husband does a job and he will say you have sent me to jail, my job has gone and I will not pay you money. What will you do then? Have you made any provision of shelter, has the government made any provision of compensation? What protection the women will have?
You are also taking the women from Muslim Personal Law and from her religion and from her house. And in the name of protection, you have sent husband to jail. Will there any husband, if he has given triple talaq which is wrong, will reconcile with the wife after so much bitterness and animosity after three months. He will divorce after three months then what will your law do. I just want to say that your intentions are wrong. If the government is insisting on the law to regulate Muslim divorce, they should have read the Quran and adopt Quranic rules because they are best and the whole Muslim community will accept it.
You all are only playing games with women. All I want to say that in the name of women atrocities and domestic issues there should not be Hindu-Muslim politics otherwise all women from the ruling and the opposition will come to the street to fight against this. The Bill should go to the JPC and all those who have the knowledge and understanding of the Quran should be consulted and there should be amendments in this Bill.