"BRING IN AGE AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS FOR LIVE-IN RELATIONSHIPS," RAJASTHAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ASKS GOVT.

The Rajasthan Human Rights Commission issued an order stating that the Government should bring in a separate law for live-in relationships as it’s the responsibility of the centre and the state Governments to protect women from the increasing trend of such relationships. The order further stated that intensive awareness campaigns should be conducted on the same.

The law might include eligibility for live-in relationships, a process for registration of such relationships and mandatory counselling in case of a break-up.

Referring to several Supreme Court judgements, the commission highlighted that there is chance for women in live-in relationships to be treated as “concubines” meaning “a woman who lives with a man but has lower status than his wife.”

“Keeping a woman as a concubine is against her dignity because this word tantamount to character assassination. For a woman, life as a concubine is not right to life and such a woman cannot protect her fundamental rights,” the order issued by the commission’s chairperson Justice Prakash Tatia and member Justice Mahesh Chand Sharma read as per Hindustan Times.

The commission said that the state Government can either use its powers to create a law or approach centre to act on it.