Going forward or moving back?


Editorial June 07, 2010

The news item reporting on the decision of a council of elders in a village in Sanghar arranging the marriage of all couples of marriageable age in the village is an event that has both positive and negative features. The decision came in the wake of the elopement of a young couple. Some members of the ‘panchayat’ suggested killing the couple. This has happened in other places on more than one occasion; hundreds of ‘honour’ killings take place each year. The decision not to kill the young couple is a step towards progress. So is the fact that the ‘consent’ of all couples – including girls – was taken before they were wed.

These measures mark an improvement on past practices. But we must ask if the mass marriage that took place in the concerned village is really a step forward. The key to the issue is the recognition of the right of all adults – men and women – to choose their spouses. Measures that prevent this are evidence of a retrogressive mindset. There is also some uncertainty over just how much license the young women in the village, realistically speaking, had to reject the partners selected for them. Inevitably, social pressures must have played a role in their decisions. It is also likely coercion would have come into play had they refused.

It often seems we live in medieval times. The decisions taken by councils of villagers conform to this pattern. These councils are of course, invariably, made up solely of men. This of course is one reason why the decisions they make so seldom serve the needs of women. We need to move away from these forums as a means to dispense justice and towards a more universal application of the law of the land. This must be combined with steps that lead towards the empowerment of women and the creation of more open mindsets at all levels in our society.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 8th, 2010.

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