Skip to main content

Legalising non-heterosexual marital relations? But what about marriage, family institutions?

By Harasankar Adhikari 

Is the slogan "women’s freedom" biologically relevant and an important issue? In fact, it is the most politically correct agenda. Therefore, this slogan of women’s freedom is nothing but confusion. We witness rapid progress in the field of technology and human rights changes ‘on the labour market, a revolution of women’s awareness, and the individualization of the course of human life.’ It influences changes in family and marital life, ‘such as the decline of patriarchy, the decrease in the number of children in a family, looking after children rather than bringing them up, the increasing role of the recreational function of the family, and the declining procreative function of the family.’ 
Here we can remember Sheila McIsaak Cooper’s opinion (1999): "The milestone of patriarchalism, is being questioned by interrelated processes of women's work and women's awareness transformation. The mass inclusion of women into the world of paid work has increased their bargaining power in relation to men as breadwinners. In addition, it has imposed an unbearable burden on women’s lives in the form of four-shift work (paid work, housekeeping, bringing up children, and night shift for husbands). Contraception, followed by in-vitro fertilisation and the prospect of using genetic manipulation, enable women and society to control the time and frequency of childbearing to a greater and greater extent."
It is good enough for women’s lives. But it is simultaneously evident that economic independence and education among women have diminished the stability of the institution of marriage. ‘Nowadays, making a decision to end a relationship by a woman does not have as unpleasant economic consequences for her as it used to in the past.’ Education and financial independence open new non-domestic vistas for women. Consequently, it changes women’s pro-family attitude. Even the desire for motherhood is inversely proportional to the level of women’s education. 
It has been observed that educated and high-earning women resign from motherhood because they feel that mothering represents low social status ‘as well as the most ideologically engaged conservative women.’ Further, it increases divorce and the number of emotionally neglected children, ‘who are brought up in continuously reconstructed and fluid relationships.’
Here, we can recollect the view of Pope John Paul II (2014). His view was that this revolution of customs and morals has often waved "the flag of freedom", but it has, in reality, brought spiritual and material devastation to countless human beings, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. It is ever more evident that the decline of the culture of marriage is associated with increased poverty and a host of other social ills that disproportionately affect women, children, and the elderly. 
It is always they who suffer the most in this crisis. The crisis of the family has produced a human ecological crisis, for social environments, like natural environments, need protection. It is therefore essential that we foster a new human ecology and make it move forward. Children have a right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother capable of creating a suitable environment for the child's growth and emotional development."
He also argued, ‘the consequences of the liberation of nature from the influence of culture (religious, ethical, and moral norms) are particularly harmful for family life. Free sexual expression, the ignoring of traditionally approved forms of family life, and the full democratisation of alternative forms of family life prove to be the triumph of whimsicality and lust (the nature) over the mind and responsibility (the culture)’.
Interestingly, the contemporary image of family has not developed any substitute mechanism of "self-discipline" to protect them against themselves. Modern people have not developed "new measures of controlling" the nature or the "human beast" Emil Durkheim stated, ‘When perceived as itself, separately from any authority regulating it from inside, our concupiscence is a bottomless abyss that nothing can fill. (…) A desire that cannot be satisfied is a continuous torture. (...) Only society, whether directly and in its entirety, or whether through one of its organs, is able to play this regulating role, as it is the only moral authority superior to an individual, and individuals recognise this superiority. Only society is endowed with the necessary esteem to make law and specify the limits that should not be exceeded.’
From the viewpoint of anthropology, ‘the contemporary progressive discourses making all (any) choices in the field of starting a family and sexual activity equal seem to be excessively optimistic, as the increasing freedom turns out to be an even stronger surrender of human beings to the power of nature’.
We are very happy to legalise non-heterosexual marriage and marital relationships. But what is the future of marriage and family institutions in our society?

Comments

TRENDING

Designing the edge, erasing the river: Sabarmati Riverfront and the dissonance between ecology and planning

By Mansee Bal Bhargava, Parth Patel  Across India, old black-and-white images of the Sabarmati River are often juxtaposed with vibrant photos of the modern Sabarmati Riverfront. This visual contrast is frequently showcased as a model of development, with the Sabarmati Riverfront serving as a blueprint for over a hundred proposed riverfront projects nationwide. These images are used to forge an implicit public consensus on a singular idea of development—shifting from a messy, evolving relationship between land and water to a rigid, one-time design intervention. The notion of regulating the unregulated has been deeply embedded into public consciousness—especially among city makers, planners, and designers. Urban rivers across India are undergoing a dramatic transformation, not only in terms of their land-water composition but in the very way we understand and define them. Here, we focus on one critical aspect of that transformation: the river’s edge.

Relevance of historical foot marches like Dandi and Salt march in achieving developmental goals in India

By Bharat Dogra  India has a great tradition of organizing foot marches, including some which become historically very important, the most obvious example being the Dandi Salt March under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi which is a very important chapter in the freedom movement of India.

FSSAI defies Supreme Court order on food warning labels, citing 'trade secrets' for withholding vital information

By A Representative   India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is facing strong criticism for deliberately delaying the implementation of crucial warning labels on High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) food products. This comes despite a clear Supreme Court order on April 9, 2025, which mandated the completion of the "entire exercise" within three months. Adding to the controversy, the FSSAI is reportedly hiding expert reports and over 14,000 public comments under the pretext of "trade secrets."

Ecological alarm over pumped storage projects in Western Ghats: Policy analyst writes to PM

By A Representative   In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, energy and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has raised grave concerns over the escalating approval and construction of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) across India’s ecologically fragile river valleys. He has warned that these projects, if pursued unchecked, could result in irreparable damage to the country’s riverine ecology, biodiversity hotspots, and forest wealth—particularly in the Western Ghats.

Bridge collapse near Vadodara fuels demand for urgent repairs in Amreli

By A Representative   The tragic collapse of a bridge near Vadodara, which claimed more than 10 lives, has intensified calls from social workers for immediate repairs to a dilapidated and dangerous bridge on the Amreli-Rajkot highway in Amreli district.

Civil rights coalition condemns alleged abduction of activist Samrat Singh by Delhi police

By A Representative The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), a collective of civil and democratic rights organisations, has strongly condemned what it describes as the illegal abduction of psychologist and social activist Samrat Singh by a team of Delhi Police officials. The incident occurred on the evening of July 12, 2025, at Singh’s residence in Yamunanagar, Haryana.

Radhika’s killing and the illusion of progress: A grim reminder of our communal codes

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  A young woman, a national-level athlete, was allegedly murdered by her father in Gurugram—initially portrayed as a case of wounded pride, mocked by locals for relying on his daughter's earnings. Yet deeper facts reveal a disturbing contradiction: this father lived comfortably, owning and renting out multiple houses in a posh locality. If he could invest in her education and coaching, why resent her success?

High tree mortality rates in plantation drives: Can deforestation be prevented through CAMPA?

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  Our policies—especially those related to forests—are based on the assumption that we can regenerate natural resources after consumption. The Compensatory Afforestation Programme Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) reflects this idea. But can we truly restore lush green forests after clearing millions of acres? What has CAMPA actually achieved so far?

Primary sources of the underground Naxalite movement (1965–71): An analytical compilation

By Harsh Thakor*  Voices from the Underground: Select Naxalite Documents (1965–71) is a compilation of documents and writings related to the Naxalite movement, spanning the period between 1965 and 1992. The collection includes materials not widely available through mainstream publishers and often considered controversial by the state. It is divided into two sections and contains eighteen documents authored by individuals associated with the movement.