Mumbai

"We want justice, not sympathy!" With this firm resolve, the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) on Tuesday raised its voice in Mumbai against polygamy, the practice of a man marrying more than one woman.

At a press conference held at the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, a report titled “Lived Reality of 2500 Indian Muslim Women in Polygamous Marriages” was released. The findings, along with the testimonies of victims, are deeply distressing.

According to the report, 85 percent of Muslim women want polygamy to be legally abolished, and 87 percent demand that Section 82 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which criminalises bigamy for other men, should be applied equally to Muslim men.

Tears rolled down the faces of several women present at the conference. Tasleem, narrating her painful story, choked up. She said, “When I was pregnant for the third time, my husband gave me ‘triple talaq’ illegally and threw me out. Later he called me back. One year passed peacefully, then the violence started again. I was harassed and labelled ‘mad’. Ultimately, I had to leave.”

Husna, who works in households to make ends meet, spoke with deep anguish: “My husband abandoned me and our three children using fake divorce papers. There must be a law that makes a second marriage impossible without strict conditions. Unless both husband and first wife agree, and the first wife’s monthly expenses are ensured, no man should be allowed a second marriage. Forcing a woman to live with her husband’s second wife is injustice.”

Social activist Khatoon Shaikh opened the conference by saying, “Reforms in Muslim family law have been long overdue. Indian Muslim women deserve legal protection just like women of any other community. BMMA has filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court to end polygamy.”

BMMA activist Nargis expressed anger at the findings. “Men with shallow understanding of religion torment multiple women. Unfortunately, the police also appear helpless. When women approach them, they say that religion permits it, so what can they do? This is why legal reform is essential.”

Zakia Soman, author of the report and BMMA co-founder, emphasized gender justice: “We need this law because men and women are equal. Polygamy might have been a necessity during wartime when death rates were high, but today it has no place. Even among Hindus, polygamy exists, but Hindu women have legal protection, which Muslim women do not. The Quran also sets strict conditions for a second marriage, which are not followed.”

Jawed Anand of Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) said, “We have always opposed polygamy. It is a social disease, and only law can cure it.”

Firoz Mithiborwala of IMSD called the study historic: “The most important aspect is that this demand is not from any external group, but from women of the community themselves. It exposes the huge gap between the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and ordinary Muslim women.”

Dr Shamsuddin Tamboli, president of the Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal, said, “This report holds a mirror to society. Our organisation has been fighting this battle for five decades. We fully support the demands of Muslim women.”

Shocking Findings of the Report

• 30 percent of men told their wives, “Islam allows four marriages, so I married again.”
• 88 percent of men did not even consult their first wife before marrying again.
• 36 percent of first wives and 22 percent of second wives reported severe mental stress and depression due to polygamy.
• 59 percent of affected women and 60 percent of husbands had only school-level education, indicating a link between lack of education and this practice.

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The study also highlights the impact on children: “Children of the first wife often feel deep anger and betrayal. Their emotional pain is profound.”