Sabarimala: Why is Modi govt not standing behind Kanaka Durga for following SC order

Ideally the desertion of Kanaka Durga by her husband following her entry in to Sabarimala Temple should have been the best reason for the Narendra Modi government to enact a law on the pattern of The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, popularly known as Triple Talaq Bill, in the coming session of Parliament. This is simply because as high as 2.3 million women––the figure may be higher––have been abandoned by their husbands in the country.

Kanaka’s case is different from all of them. She had been thrown out of the house and even brutally attacked by her mother-in-law simply because she abided by the Supreme Court ruling.

If the Narendra Modi government was prompt enough to come to the rescue of “Muslamaan bahnen” (Muslim sisters) even when the Supreme Court had earlier declared the instant Triple Talaq as unconstitutional, why not make a law when a person has openly defied the apex court ruling.

True, a government is not supposed to enact a law when just one person––here for example Kanaka’s husband––violates the Supreme Court judgement. But the issue is not just this much.

This latest episode only exposes as to how are women abandoned or deserted at the drop of the hat by their husbands?

If the objective is betterment of condition of women cutting across the community lines then the government should certainly make a law on abandoned or deserted women too. Otherwise people would accuse it of raising the issue of Triple Talaq just for the political reason.

Ironically, the BJP’s position on Sabarimala Temple entry issue is totally opposed to the Supreme Court ruling.

As the saffron party wants to take political mileage of both the issues––Triple Talaq and Sabarimala Temple entry––there is little or no scope for the improvement of condition of women in the country.

If the issue of individual women like Shah Bano in 1980s or Saira Bano now can become a hot topic in the Press and force the then Rajiv Gandhi government and the present Narendra Modi government to take totally opposite stands on the issue why has the same media failed in taking up the sorry plight of Kanaka Durga?

There may be no dearth of people who questioned the Supreme Court ruling and criticised it for interfering into the religious matter Kanaka on her own part had done no wrong. She had only followed the ruling of Supreme Court in letter and spirit.

Her case is totally different from the usual incidents of marital discord in which most of the time the husband or his family members commits excesses.

In this case Kanaka is alone and even her own brother is not standing behind her. In most other cases a divorced woman gets support and sympathy from her own family.

The big question is even if Kanaka had committed some wrong should she be left in the lurch in such a way.

Surprisingly, this is happening in the state with highest literacy rate and which tops the country on the Human Development Index.