Women rubbish RSS survey on marriage, say NCRB statistics point towards cruelty in marriage

Women have come out and rubbished the RSS survey which stated that married women had a “high level of happiness”, whereas “the lowest percentage was among those who had live-in relationships”.

Activists pointed out that this survey is contradictory to the National Crime Records Bureau data, which states that cruelty is high within marriage.

The RSS-linked Pune-based organisation Drishti Stree Adhyayan Prabodhan Kendra had conducted a survey called ‘Status of women in India’ in which they found that married women had a high level of happiness, “whereas lowest percentage was among those who had live-in relationships”.

Reasoning it, the study said it could be because marriage brings stability and contributes in the increase in the level of happiness and wellbeing of an individual. The study added that happiness depended on a woman’s age, education and marital status, but had nothing to do with income. It added that those who renounced the world or were deeply spiritual were the happiest.

Interestingly, the study was conducted among 43,255 women in 465 districts in 29 states between December 2017 and December 2018. Of these only 29 women said they were in a live-in relationship.

“This is rubbish. Mutual respect is the basis for any successful relationship, whether it is marriage or a live-in partnership. If that is lost, the relationship is lost. The two individuals should have concern and care for each other. I have been in live-in relationship for the last 30 years and I am quite happy,” said Annie Raja, the General Secretary of National Federation of Indian Women.

“This RSS-sponsored NGO will also propagate the ‘Manuvadi’ mentality, where the women’s place in either in the kitchen or in the prayer room. Their ideology is to subjugate women and they women all women have accepted it. This is not the truth. What are their criteria for happiness? Everyone has different criterion for happiness,” added Raja.

“Societal norms force many women to stay back in bad marriages. This is because the family will not accept women coming back to their homes after marriage. Additionally, they will say that her presence will ruin the marriage proposals of the other young girls in the house. Everything is against women,” pointed out Raja.

Condemning the survey human rights activist Kavita Srivastava said, “This survey is an attempt to cover up domestic violence. How can women have a sexual expression outside marriage. The Sangh Parivar see women as child bearers and as people who will add to the militant profile of a Hindu Rashtra. The highest happiness quotient is when you are spiritual. Obviously they do not women to have sexual expression and if at all, only in a marriage”

Srivastava pointed out that this survey is against the NCRB data which has stated that cruelty within marriage is extremely high.

“The RSS world view does not allow them to see women as independent. They always have to be a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife,” pointed out Sharmistha Mukherjee, Congress spokesperson Mukherjee, who compared this ideology with that of Nazi Germany where awards were given to mothers with more than four children.

“They are extremely patriarchal. These ideas not only advocate unabashed racism and communalism, but also denigrate women by treating them as child producing machinery,” said Mukherjee.

Mukherjee went on to add that Bhagwat had earlier said that rapes do not happen in Bharat and it happens only in India. Theirs is the ideology which states that Hindu women should produce more children.

“Their outlook about women is feudalistic and bigoted. This point of view is seen amongst BJP leaders too. The BJP leader and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said if women wanted freedom, they should roam around naked. These are nothing but misogynistic views stemming from their fountainhead RSS,” added Mukherjee.

The Congress leader questioned how the survey decided to make a comparison between married and live-in relationships, especially since the number of such live-in couples are likely to be miniscule in India.

“Their statement that employment does not increase happiness is problematic, as they want women to be only domesticated. Mohan Bhagwat had said a while ago that a woman can be beaten up if she fails the contract of marriage and doesn’t cook. They see women as subservient.

“Imagine in such a terrible economy with unemployment rates at 8.1 percent, they are telling women are happier staying at home and therefore we can deduce the fact that they do not want women to compete in the employment/labour market,” stressed Srivastava.

The survey was also condemned by the Mahila Congress. “This attempt to pigeonhole women and this overbearing attitude to attach happiness to a select section of women through an ill-researched and agenda driven survey lays bare a blinkered vision,” pointed out Apsara Reddy, Mahila Congress General Secretary.

“This survey passes value judgement on women in live-in relationships. It states that women aren’t as happy as the ones who are married. It reflects the rigid ideology of the organisation. India and even the highest court of this country has come to accept that women should have the freedom to live-in, marry, be single, irrespective of what a minuscule sample size might believe in,” added Reddy.