Live-in Relationships Legal in India: Live-in relationships are legal in India, although they include a couple living-in together without marriage. The Supreme court has held that adult couples have the right to cohabitation without marriage in all situations consented by both parties and capable persons under the law. In addition, such relationships are protected under Article 21 of the Constitution, that underlines the right to life and personal liberty.
Despite the legal stand, society doesn’t accept it. News lied again last week when the Uttar Pradesh High Court heard a petition from a Muslim girl wanting to live with a Hindu partner in a live-in relation. The court remarked, “These types of relationships are never acceptable in society. We do not live in a Western country. We live in a country that believes in culture and traditions…we are proud of it”.
This was obviously a statement that became a talking point in public and raised the question. Personal freedom is limited by traditional expectations.
While the laws exist to protect ones in a live-in relationship-from domestic abuse to child custody-back to social norms. They unfortunately have this standoff with those rights. Live-in relationships still carry the social stigma from most people, especially from the highly conservative areas of rural communities, and everything gets severed again in a sensitive manner when an interfaith couple is involved, as is the case in the present one.
Also Read: How to Maintain Long-Distance Relationships That Actually Work
India is a nation that is incredibly dually deep-rooted in tradition and also modernized in law. The law allows consenting adults to live together, but courts and society seem to be beating a little mixed drum. In order for all rights of individuals to be fully respected, legal and social systems should be harmonized to the constitutional values of freedom and equality.
Legally permitted; however, full-scale acceptance is still a scar in the healing.
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