11/27/2015

Child custody law in India: a litigant perspective. - The Hindu

OPINIONCOMMENT

February2,2013

ChildcustodylawinIndia:alitigantperspective.
AveekJayant
Therehasbeenaflurryofactivityonthepersonallawfrontinourcountryintherecentpast.Anamendmentseekingtoaddirretrievablebreakdownof
marriageasagroundfordivorcetotheHinduMarriageAct,1955andtheSpecialMarriageAct,1954isinthewings.Therearealsoprovisionsonsharing
matrimonialpropertyandwaivingthestatutorycoolingperiodbeforealegaldissolutionofmarriage.Doubtless,personallawreformisanecessitygiven
thatmostofourlawsareantiquated.
AparodyofsortsisthatthefirstmovetograntdivorceonthebasisofirretrievablebreakdownwasinitiatedbytheLawCommissionofIndiainits71
reportmorethanthreedecadesago!Inthebackgroundistheincreasedincidenceofmatrimonialbreakdown,theSampleRegistrationSystem2010data
finalisedrecentlyquotesfiguresintherangeofaround9%forstateslikeTamilNadu(1)).Althoughexactfiguresaredifficulttoobtainthefactumof
increaseseemstobeunequivocaltheannualnumberofdivorcepetitionsinacitylikeMumbaihasdoubledsincethe1990s(2).Arenownedlegalscholar
andlawyerintheMadrasHighCourt,GeetaRamaseshanbelievesthatwhilemoredivorcecasesarecomingtocourtbutthisdoesnotmeanmarital
discorddidnotexistearlier(3).Otherstakeacontrarianviewandaclinicalpsychologistattributesittothecompletedeathoftolerance(4).
Beitasitmay,myconcerninthisarticleistodrawattentiontoanotheremotionallandminetheissueofchildcustody.Inmyopinion,thiscontinuesto
languishasaneglectedcornerofourjurisprudence.Theflashesofattentionthataredrawntoitaremiredinsensationalismastherecentdisputeregarding
custodyoftwosmallIndianchildreninfarawayNorwayanditscurrentchapterinKolkataprove.
ThelawsgoverningchildcustodyinIndiaaretheGuardiansandWardsAct1890andtheHinduMinorityandGuardianshipAct1956.TheHinduMinority
andGuardianshipActstatesthatthenaturalguardianofaHinduminor,inrespectoftheminorspersonaswellasinrespectoftheminorsproperty.in
thecaseofaboyorunmarriedgirlthefather,andafterhim,themother,providedthatthecustodyofaminorwhohasnotcompletedtheageoffiveyears
shallordinarilybewiththemother(5).Therearenumerousconnotationsthiscantake,someoftheseare:thatthelawreflectsourpatriarchalsocial
structureandthatsmallchildrenarealwaysbetteroffwiththemother...Mattersarealsocomplicatedbyalegalprocessthatdoesnotviewlegal
guardianshiptobecoterminuswithphysicalcustodyofachild.
OverayearagoIhappenedtomeetaleadinglawyerinametropolitanSouthIndiancitytopleadmyownpetitionforchildcustody.Averywarmand
affableperson,shedidherbesttodissuademefromlitigation:inherconsideredopinion,itwastimetodootherthingssuchasfocussingonacareersince
mychancesofgettingchildcustodywerenegligible.Atbestonecouldfileforvisitationrightsandgivenmymodestfinancialresourcesshefoundit
unconscionabletowastemymoneyonfutileornearfutilelitigation.Atleast,inoperationaltimesitthereforeseemsthatmothersmostoftenwincustody
battlesinourcountry.Thisisnotsurprisingbecausethisisaninternationalphenomenon.IntheUnitedKingdomonly8%offathersfunctionassingle
parents(6).InGermanylocallawsgivesolecustodytothemotherunlesssheconsentstojointcustody.InatleastonecasetheEuropeanCourtofHuman
Rightshasruledthisprovisionovertlydiscriminatory(7)thishasledtoGermanlawmakerstakingarelookattheirchildcustodyprovisions.
TheSupremeCourtofIndiahasconsistentlyheldthatindecidingcasesofchildcustodythefirstandparamountconsiderationisthewelfareandinterest
ofthechildandnottherightsoftheparentsunderastatute(8).AsiftodispelanydoubtsonthemattertheCourtheld(videsupra)nostatuteonthe
subjectcanignore,escheworobliteratethevitalfactorofthewelfareoftheminor.InalandmarkjudgementtheSCdrivinghometheequalityofthe
mothertofulfiltheroleofaguardianheldthatgenderequalityisoneofthebasicprinciplesofourConstitution,and,therefore,thefatherbyreasonofa
dominantpersonalitycannotbeascribedtohaveapreferentialrightoverthemotherinthematterofguardianshipsincebothfallwithinthesamecategory
(9).Tothelayperson,thiswasakintothehighestCourtinthecountrysayinggenderwasnotaconsiderationindecidingmattersofchildcustodyand
guardianship.Itwasnottobe,theKarnatakaHighCourtheldseveralyearslaterthatitisthemostnaturalthingforanychildtogrowupinthecompanyof
onesmotherandachildgetsthebestprotectionandeducationonlythroughthemothereveninnature(10).AgainitwasthesagacityoftheSupreme
Courthearinganappealinthesamematterwhichheldthatwemakeitclearthatwedonotsubscribetothegeneralobservationsandcommentsmadeby
theHighCourtinfavourofmotherasparenttobealwayspreferabletothefathertoretaincustodyofthechild(11).Despitetheoverarching
observationsoftheSupremeCourtinthematterofchildcustodyitisthus,often,thesubjectivityofanindividualjudgewhichdecidesacaseofchild
custody.
Anowpopulartalkshowclaimsthatmorethan50%ofwomen(whichitclaimsisaconservativeestimate)inourcountryarevictimsofdomesticviolence.
AnenormousamountofmediatimewasspentonthetragedyofBabyFalak,abatteredbaby.Moretopicallythehorrendousrapeandsubsequentdeathof
anotheryoungwomaninDelhiwas,fordaysonendthetalkofthetown.Concurrentwiththeiranxietytomaketheircoverageofthesetragediesanindex
oftheirsocialconscientiousness,newschannelssparednoattemptatbashingtheprototypicalIndianmalelawless,abusive,selfish,greedy,insensitiveto
theplightofwomenandchildrenandsoandsoforth.Itisunquestionablethatviolenceagainstwomen,thesolicitationofdowryandtheneglectofchildren
aresocialcrimes,thattheseareprevalentenoughtoneedspecialattentionisalsonotindoubt.Theproblemariseswhensocietalprototypingpotentially
prejudicesthedeliveryofjustice.Withthephenomenalimpactthatvisualandincreasinglysocialmediahaveonpublicopinioncanweexpectfairlythat
legislationorjurisprudencewillbeimmune?
Asearlyas1980theLawCommissionofIndiasubmittedareporttotheGovernmentofIndiaadvisingittoamendtheGuardiansandWardsAct1890,it
suggestedthatSection6oftheAct(videsupra)beamendedsoastoallowthemotherthecustodyofaminortillitcompletestheageof12years.Inits
infinitewisdomthiswasnecessarytopreventthefatherfromusingthechildasapawnforsecuringcompletesubmissionofhiswife.Fastforwardto2010
wheretheSCheardanapplicantfatherwhowasdeniedvisitationrightsforalittlemorethanthreeyears,anorderoftheSupremeCourtnotwithstanding.
InthiscasetheCourtopinedthatthepetitionersrightsstoodcompletelyfrustratedandthatthemindofthechildhasbeeninfluencedtosuchanextent
thathehasnoaffection/respectfortheapplicant(13).Italsomincednowordsinholdingthattherespondenthadwilfullyanddeliberatelycommitted
contemptofthiscourt.Womenthereforearenotaboveusingthechildasapawn.
Itdoesthereforeappearthatwhenamarriagefailseitherparty,maleorfemaleusesthechildtobrowbeattheoppositepartnerintosubmission.Inthe
emotionalbattleofparentsthechildisoftenheldhostagebywhosoeverhasphysicalcustody.Indiaurgentlyneedslegislativeandjudicialactiontoprevent
eitherparentfromalienatingthechildfromtheestrangedpartner.Aninterimmeasurecanalwaysbethataparentwhodeliberatelyalienatesthechildfrom
theotherhashisorherrightsforcustodyweakenedtheunderlyingassumptionalwaysbeingthatitisneverhealthyforachildtobedeniedtheloveand
guidanceofabiologicalparent.Itisalsomoottopointoutthattheabsenceofthesemeasuresinevitablystrengthensinterparentalinternationalchild
abductionsinceIndiaisnotasignatorytotheUnitedNationsConventionontheRightsoftheChild.
Letusalsobrieflylookatanotherareaoffamilylawjurisprudencethelawsgoverningprohibitionofdowryanddomesticviolence.Itisnobodyscasethat
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/child-custody-law-in-india-a-litigant-perspective/article4371934.ece

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11/27/2015

Child custody law in India: a litigant perspective. - The Hindu

thesearenotsocialproblemsinthiscountry.ImplementationofthestatutehasbeenvitiatedtosuchanextentthattheSCheldthatashasbeenrightly
contendedbythepetitionermanyinstanceshavecometolightwherethecomplaintsarenotbonafideandfiledwithobliguemotive(sic)(14).While
solicitationofdowryandanyviolenceisindeedreprehensible(andmustbemetwiththefullforceoftheState)isitnotshockingthatsuchstringentlaws
aremisusedbywomenandtheirfamilies?Morecogentlywhenwilloursocietymatureenoughtoviewgoodnessorwickednessaspartofourinnatehuman
nature,notnecessarilyendowmentsofoursex?
Itisunfairthatwomenwillorshouldgiveuptheircareerstostayathomewithtoddlerchildrenitisequallyunfairthatmenshouldbedisqualifiedonthe
basisofstatute.Theneedofthehourisagenderneutralcustodylawthereishowevernowaytosecondguesswhichwayourcustodylawsareheaded.
WithintherealmofjudicialinterventionIwouldearnestlypleadthatourhigherjudiciaryenunciateaspecificsetofguidelinesonthematter.Intheabsence
ofthesechildcustodymattersessentiallyrestonthediscretionofanindividualjudge,whodrawnfromoursocietyisnotalwaysfreefromoneorother
stereotypes.
REFERENCES
TamilNaduhasthehighestpercentageofwidowed/divorceesinIndia.TheTimesofIndia05April2012.
WithIndiasnewaffluencecomesthedivorcegeneration.TheNewYorkTimes19Feb2008.
Whyisthedivorcerateclimbingup?TheHindu23Sep2002.
Forspace,youngcouplessnaptheknotinnotime.TheTimesofIndia15Dec2010.
Section6(a)TheHinduMinorityandGuardianshipAct1956.
Divorcedfatherstogetmorecontactwiththeirchildren.TheGuardianFeb32012.
Lovebeforethelaw:childcustodysetforoverhaul.TheLocal2Jul2010.
AIR2008SC2262
AIR1999,2SCC228
II(2003)DMC288,2003(3)KarLJ530
AIR2004SC1525.
TheLawCommissionofIndia83report1980.
20111MLJ(1002)
2006AIR670.
AveekJayantisonthefacultyofthePostgraduateInstituteofMedicalEducationandResearch,(Chandigarh)anautonomousinstitutionundertheGovt.of
India.Theviewsexpressedinthisarticleareentirelypersonal.Email:jayant.aveek@gmail.com

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