Punjab And Haryana High Court Call Live-In Relationships ‘Morally, Socially Unacceptable’
‘One step forward, two steps back’, an adage that till now was being used to describe a situation where people find themselves in the same place over and over again without much changing, has now become a testament to reality in our country. Considering the only place we see ourselves and our society moving towards is back to square 1 with the recent ruling of the Punjab and Haryana High Court over live-in relationships.
It’s hard to bring about any change in the country and its law and order, and while we’ve applauded many a court’s ruling about live-in relationships, it seems like not all Indian courts are progressive and stereotypical. We say this after the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed a petition filed by a runaway couple seeking protection, by observing live-in relationships as ‘morally and socially unacceptable’.
The petitioners in the case, Gulza Kumari (19) and Gurwinder Singh (22) had filed a petition with the court seeking protection, stating that the two were residing together and intended to get married shortly. And since their families were against the live-in relationship, they sought for help from court of law. Both Kumari and Singh were living together in Tarn Taran district, while Kumari’s parents, the ones posing as danger, were in Ludhiana.
The Wire: Punjab and Haryana HC’s Dismissal of Live-in Couple’s Plea for Protection Goes Against SC Ruling.https://t.co/Ni7gsUO6h8
via @GoogleNews
— SHARIFA CHOWDHURY (@DivorceFamily) May 19, 2021
Also Read : Live-In Relationships Are Legal. Our Society Needs To Stop Acting Like It’s A Crime
However, Justice H S Madaan said in his May 11 order that, “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.”
J S Thakur, advocate for the petitioners stated, “As the Supreme Court (SC) has already upheld the live-in relationship, we had approached the HC seeking directions to protect their life and liberty till they get married. As of now, they were in a live-in relationship to avoid the wrath of the girl’s family that was against their relationship.”
Can giving protection to a live-in couple really damage the social fabric?What's your take on the judgement by Punjab and Haryana HC? Share your thoughts with us#LiveInRelationship #HighCourt https://t.co/HHOuphDg7J
— herzindagi (@herzindagi) May 19, 2021
The HC bench further observed, “Petitioner No 1 (girl) is barely 18 years old whereas petitioner No 2 (boy) is 21 years old. They claim to be residing together in a live-in relationship and claim protection of their life and liberty from the girl’s relatives. In the considered view of this bench, if such protection as claimed is granted, the entire social fabric of the society would get disturbed.”
A ruling that is now being condemned by several lawyers who argued that the SC had already recognised live-in relationships. It is a shame to see that even the judges in our country find themselves tied to the orthodox norms of the society, the brunt of which is faced by the youth of the country as it continues to be held back against its will.
