Left backs Muslim women’s demand on triple talaq

The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Tuesday expressed its support to the demand of Muslim women against the practice of arbitrary and instant triple talaq. Rajya Sabha member and senior Polit Bureau leader of the Left party Brinda Karat said, “Triple talaq is not even practised in any Muslim country, and we support Muslim women. We also feel all communities need reform.”

In a release Communist Party of India (Marxist) also stated that, “This specific practice is not permitted in most Islamic countries. Acceptance of this demand will bring relief to affected women.”

The party also accused the ruling the BJP and NDA government at the Centre of double-standards between personal laws for Hindu women and the minority communities, particularly the Muslim minority. The party claimed that, “The personal laws for Hindu women, which have already been reformed, shows that their interest is not in securing women's equality but in targeting the minority communities, particularly the Muslim minority.”

“Even now laws concerning, adoption, property rights and even the right to choose your own partner discriminate against Hindu women,” it added. 

Another senior Left leader S Sudhakar Reddy claimed that, “This debate before the Uttar Pradesh elections is aimed at reaping political dividends only.” “It is not something urgent to divide the nation on this issue and I don't think the government is serious in bringing the code,” he asserted.

The party top brass also feel that, “With the offensive of the communal forces on the very identity of minority communities, any move to push the agenda of Uniform Civil Code as is being done by the Government directly and through its institutions is counterproductive for the rights of women. Uniformity is not the guarantee for equality.”

The Left party termed the Narendra Modi-led incumbant as “pro-corporate, anti-labour, anti-people” which is playing the vulnerable issue as another “trump-card” unlike Ayodhya.