Triple talaq not in sync with modern times: Social worker

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, February 19

Eminent social activist, entrepreneur and FICCI member Lalita Nijhawan has advocated abolishing the practice of triple talaq practised among Muslims. He today demanded prohibition on triple talaq, polygamy and nikah-halal even if they are part of the Muslim Personal Law in India. President Pranab Mukherjee had awarded Lalita as one of the 100 women achievers last year.

On the sidelines of a charitable event, Lalita said as the Supreme Court had taken up the matter, the hope of Muslim women getting freedom from this age-old practices and a permanent decision on this controversial aspects had risen.

She referred to various Muslim countries where such practices had been prohibited by law and even prescribed punishment. She said the voices of opposition from Muslim women had lent this issue a major push, leading to the Supreme Court taking it up for the final decision.

Lalita is the co-convener of the Group of Intellectuals and Academicians, which raises varied issues such as women empowerment, molestation, rape and female foeticide. She has also been actively working and raising the triple-talaq and uniform civil code issues at various forums.

She was given the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Award for her social works at Brussels, Belgium, last year. She has also been involved in charity for the past 17 years.

Recently, Lalita organised the marriages of two orphan girls Sunita and Deepa at Maatri Anchal Kanya Vidyapeeth in Haridwar, which she funds regularly, along with 690 other schools in backward-tribal areas of Rajasthan and Tripura.

“People need to realise the importance the Indian culture gives to women. We have several women deities. We even address our motherland as ‘Bharat Mata’, so how come instances of female foeticide, molestation and domestic violence against women occur across the country daily. This is time that we focus on our Moral-based Vedic education pattern,” said Lalita, who is also associated with Panini Kanya Vidyalaya, Varanasi, to promote Sanskrit education and the Indian Vedic culture.