As per the Times of India(29 October 2024), the Madras High Court has ruled that ShariatCouncil is a private body, not a Court. The Court said that when a woman disputes the validity of the talaq pronounced by her husband,the latter must obtain legaldeclaration from court for dissolution of the marriage.Justice G.R. Swaminathan, in Madurai Bench of the High Court,ruled that if thehusband claims that he haddivorced the first wife by properly pronouncing talaqthree times and if it is disputed by the wife, the question arises if marriage has been validly dissolved.
The court was ruling on the triple talaq of a Muslim doctor couple who had married in 2010.One of the focal points of the case is Tamil Nadu ThowheedJamath.The Shariat Council of ThowheedJamathissued a divorce certificate to the husband in 2017. Though the Jamath can help resolve family and financial issues, itcan’t issue divorce certificates or enforce penalties.
Justice Swaminathan criticised the divorce certificate, describingit as “shocking”. He said the council had the husband’spetition for triple talaqand attempted to mediate, but blamed the wife for not cooperating. “Only courts duly constituted by the state can deliver judgements. Shariatcouncil is private body and not a Court,” the judge reiterated, dismissing the husband’s revision petition.
“So long as such a declaration has not been obtained from the jurisdictional court, the marriage is deemed to subsist.” In 2018, the wife disputed the divorce and fileda petition under the protection of women from Domestic Violence Act before a Tirunelveli judicial magistrate court.She also asserted that the third talaq was not servedon her, meaning the marriage was still valid. The husband married a second time that year. In 2021, the magistrate ruled in favour of the first wife, directing the husband to pay Rs. 5 lakh as compensation for domestic violence and Rs.25,000/- a month for the maintenance of their minor child. Later, a sessions court dismissed thehusband’s appeal against thisdecision.
Chowdhry Nisar Ahmed
Noorullah pet, Ambur (T.N)
Vijayan’s Baseless Statement
As per a report published in the Malayalam language daily Madhyamam, Jamaat-e-Islami Kerala leader P. Mujeeb Rahman has sharply criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, accusing him of diverting attention from what he described as the CM’s “close ties” and “obedience” to the RSS. Rahman’s response came at a press conference on October 29, where he accused Vijayan of spreading “Islamophobia” and endangering Kerala’s social harmony.
The controversy emerged after Vijayan criticised Jamaat-e-Islami during a book launch on political Islam, authored by CPI(M) state committee member P.J. Rajan. It does not behove a seasoned leader like Vijayan to issue such a baseless statement.
- Akhlaq
Calicut, Kerala
Indian Taxpayers’ Money shouldn’t Be Used for Gaza Genocide
Pro-Palestine activists in Bengaluru, rallying under the banners of the India-Palestine Solidarity Forum and Bengaluru For Justice And Peace, have made a passionate demand for India to sever all diplomatic and economic ties with Israel in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
They draw compelling parallels to India’s historic boycott of apartheid South Africa as a strong precedent for such action. The activists’ demand is not only valid but necessary, as Indian taxpayers’ money should not be used to fund acts of violence and massacres in the Middle East. It is crucial for the Indian government to listen to the voices of its citizens and take a stand for justice and human rights.
Abhishek Kumar
Bengaluru, Karnataka