Education And Affluence Do Not Lead to Divorce Mr Bhagwat

Yet again education is ruining the Hindu society's social fabric! Or so said the RSS Chief, while addressing the RSS workers in Ahmedabad. Mohan Bhagwat said, “The cases of divorce are more in educated and affluent families because with education and affluence comes arrogance, as a result of which families fall apart.” He also reiterated that there is no alternative to the Hindu society in India. For the records, actor Sonam Kapoor has called this a “regressive and a foolish statement.”

Where do we begin now? Dear Mr Bhagwat, education can never be a problem, it is mostly understood as part of the solution to any problem, worldwide. And divorce is not tied to the education of a person or their affluence, it is tied to the happiness, trust, understanding, love, satisfaction, respect, fulfillment among many other things that a couple today looks for in a conjugal relationship. No woman or man educated or not loves to break their home unless they are pushed to do so. And when they have to do so the society doesn’t spare them. Nobody here plans a divorce.

Divorce is not tied to the education of a person or their affluence, it is tied to the happiness, trust, understanding, love, satisfaction, respect, fulfilment among many other things that a couple today looks for in a conjugal relationship.

In India, nobody is ever happily divorced either. Divorce is riddled with stigmas and women face the brunt of it most of the time. Going through court proceedings is not a walk in the park. The emotional trauma in the aftermath of a divorce cannot exactly be termed as an easy thing to deal with for either partner. Divorced women are often considered the home breakers and it is not easy for them to deal with such aspersions.

The society, Hindu or not, is a constantly evolving entity it cannot remain in a status quo and unless we adapt to changes we will not progress. Education is one such means to progress. If education has done anything it has made women more aware and self-conscious about their rights and duties. It has given women agency and they don’t want to stay in an unhappy marriage just to uphold the sanctity of the society. Women today are happier being single mothers and raising their kids away from the negativity that surrounds an unhappy marriage.

The society, Hindu or not, is a constantly evolving entity it cannot remain in a status quo and unless we adapt to changes we will not progress.

Society doesn’t fall apart because families decide to stop staying together. It falls apart when people feel stifled in their own homes and there is an absence of respect in relationships. It falls apart when a kid has to be a part of a toxic marriage and grow up believing that all matrimonial relationships are flawed. It falls apart when women have to silently survive domestic violence. It falls apart when women do not have economic independence or don’t get to spend the money they earn. Two people should stay in a marriage because there is love with each other and not because society wants them to. The society will survive as long as it accepts new changes with open arms.

In the same speech that was released as a statement by RSS, Bhagwat also said, “There is no society without a household, and women, who comprise half of the society, should become more enlightened.” But can enlightenment can be attained without giving education a chance?

Picture Credit: NDTV

The views expressed are the author's own.