New Delhi: The societal trend of increasing divorce rates in India is not only among the rich in big
cities but also among the not so affluent in small towns.
The Indian capital leads with the highest number of divorces in the country, with more than 8,000-9,000 cases every year, followed by Mumbai and Bangalore where the figures have doubled in the past decade, hovering between 4,000 and 5,000.
Kolkata and Chennai, the bastions of tradition, are also not far behind with a significant rise of 200 per cent in such cases, according to data compiled from various state
courts and the Crime Records Bureau.
Punjab and Haryana, both agricultural states, have seen an
increase of 150 per cent. Kerala, with the most literate people and the land of Gulf money, recorded an increase of 350 per cent in the last 10 years.
Earlier divorces were limited to the affluent upper class in cities. But in the last decade, more and more
middle and lower-middle class
couples have been coming out of their shells to escape the pains of a discordant family.
"A study of recent trends showed that such cases are significantly rising in small towns and semi-urban areas. Many young couples, particularly women, have been filing petitions for separation, which was unheard of in the 1970s," said Supreme Court Advocate K.K. Patel.
With the courts in cities and metropolises flooded with squabbling couples, the government has created the Crime Against Women cells and Matrimonial Courts to look into such complaints.
Sunil Mittal, a psychologist, believes that "the nuclear family structure, modern lifestyle and professional tensions may be behind the phenomenal increase in marital discord".
In order to give special attention to and expedite such cases, five matrimonial courts headed by an additional sessions judge have been set up in the capital.
Many states, including Delhi, have set up marriage bureaus where counselling is done to encourage reconciliation.