An article on Divorce in India! More specifically, an agency and other websites which arrange second marriages.
Marriage is still, by and large, socially compulsory. But in a measure of the slow churning of Indian social mores, divorce and remarriage are slowly gaining acceptability. “In general, it’s no taboo these days,†Mr. Raina said gamely, and went on to praise the anonymity that big cities in particular offered to those who wanted a fresh start. To get away from clucking tongues and wagging fingers, a divorced man, as Mr. Raina put it, “just has to change his house. From East Delhi to South Delhi, he is a new person.â€
Interesting how the example he gives is for a divorced man. I doubt it is that easy for a woman, despite the rise in occurance.
Savi Nagpal, 39, came because she grew weary of having to organize her daughter’s birthday parties by herself. “As you know, in India everybody asks the father’s name — the first thing,†she said. To have a father figure, she said, would be good for her daughter, who is 8 years old.
And yet, Ms. Nagpal remains wary of remarrying. It took her more than three years even to approach Mr. Raina’s agency. She is still a bit frightened of a new relationship. “Looking for a second husband for me now is not a matter of love but a purely practical consideration,†Ms. Nagpal said.
First, I wonder why the daughter doesn’t have a father–I assume he hasn’t died. Then I also question what kinds of practicalities are making remarriage seem desirable, even without love.
He sees his society in conflict with itself. “People are O.K. with divorce. Nobody forces you to stay in a marriage and torture yourself for the rest of your life,†he said. “But the attitude towards a divorcé is still the same. They’re outcasts. They think divorce won’t happen if the person is a good person.â€
Sounds like people aren’t so ok with divorce after all!
