The Position of Women in Hindu Civilisation, from Prehistoric Times to the Present Day c7.s7.23

c7.s7.23

Should divorce be allowed on wider grounds like cruelty, insanity, long imprisonment, continued adultery etc. is a difficult question to answer. There can be no doubt that in the present state of the mentality of Hindu society, permission for divorce for the above reasons would be highly detrimental to the interests of women. Even child widows do not find it easy to contract a new satisfactory marriage. Among divorced wives, not even five per cent. may succeed in arranging a good second marriage. The remaining 95 per cent. would be unable to remarry ; divorce may merely result in depriving them of their legal right of maintenance against their husbands.