Wary MP government drops plan to legalize live-in relations
With the Sangh Parivar "outraged by the audacious idea," the state government has dropped its radical plan to legalize live-in partnership in the state. The proposal, included in the final draft of the state women policy 2013-17, was essentially meant to protect the interest of deserted victims and put them at par with the divorced wife or a widow in the matter of property rights and inheritance. Submitted before the government for clearance last fortnight, it would have been formalized by June, but for raging saffron storm brewing over it.Party sources attribute the volte-face to "the acute discomfort and distress it has caused to the parivar functionaries, who would rather uphold morality than the constraints of vote bank politics. Not surprisingly such is the extent of reservation that the very mention of the issue is enough to send senior leaders, including ministers scurrying for cover. At least three ministers contacted by TOI to probe the reason for dramatic shift, sounded edgy and passed the buck to the Department of Women and Child Development. Minister Ranjana Baghel proved to be equally illusive. Baghel could not be contacted despite repeated calls.The minister had publicly vowed to fight such a move with all her might two days ago before she learnt that silence would be the best policy here. The strategy, sources claim, is to keep mum and let the issue die a natural death gradually.However, the sudden burst of coyness in saffron camp has led to sneers among Congress and social activists, who demand that the government comes clear on the matter.Slamming the Shivraj Singh government for politicizing such a sensitive issue, MP Mahila Congress state president Archana Jaiswal said the object behind the move was votes in tribal belt, particularly in Malwa region, where the practice has been rampant for years little realizing the kind of uproar it would cause among the in-house ultra orthodox wing.And now when the news has leaked, everyone is busy hiding faces, she said. Jaiswal claimed to have tried speaking to senior ministers, including Babulal Gaur herself, but in vain. Same thing happened after the Gahnsor rape case, she claimed. The leader challenged the BJP top brass to "either stand by the convictions or publicly own it was an unintentional goof-up." Backtracking here would only perpetuate exploitation of women from weaker strata, said Anurag Modi, convener, Shramik Adivasi Sangathan.
