Since the beginning of 21st century, India has witness a tremendous transformation in all areas of life. Social, economic or personal, every sphere of life have gone under complete transformation with time. Things that were not socially accepted some decades earlier (gay rights, live in relationships) are well accepted norms today. This complete freedom to enjoy life has over powered the modern world where everyone likes to ‘taste and try’ everything for sometime before making it a part of their life.
Instead of suffering and bearing, as experienced earlier in case of traditional marriages, this modern life style has taught us to enjoy and experiment the life for getting maximum pleasure out of life. ‘Life-in-relationship’ life style is getting popular among young society. Supporting this change, the Supreme Court of India has stamped its opinion that man and women living together, like married, without being married is not offensive. On a hearing on premarital sex case of South Indian actress, a three judge bench said “When two adult people want to live together, what is the offense? Living together cannot be an offense”. Supporting their judgment, they cite the example of Hindu God ‘Krishna and Radha’, who had lived together. On the other hand, it argued, living together is a right to life, as article 21 of the constitution has granted the right to life a liberty as fundamental right. On the same case in 2008, Supreme Court declared that children born out of such long term relationship will not be called illegitimate. Taking a step further, in October 2008, the Maharashtra cabinet proposed an amendment to section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure which stated that a woman in a live-in relationship for a reasonable period of time would get the status of a “wife”. The amendment was approved with a recommendation that if a man and woman are living together as husband and wife for a reasonably long period of time, he man shall be deemed to have been married the women according to customary rights of woman.
Our modern society shows countless examples where professionals, young students prefer to enjoy the life with live-in relationship. In metro cities like Delhi or Mumbai, we can find couples living together from years and are happy with that. Live-in relationship is found in many other forms in our traditional society. Famous ‘Maitri Karaar’ of Gujrat or ‘Nata Pratha’ , in which a man and woman enter into a voluntary marriage, has been in existence from long time. Similarly, in some tribal areas of Orissa, there is a custom of wife selection on a particular night. In this custom, the boys and girls assemble under banyan tree. They choose their partner and live there for three days. At the end, if both find themselves compatible or suitable for each other, the boy takes his girl home. But if they do not found each other compatible, they go back to their respective homes and wait for the next year.
There are a lot of reasons that gave rise to live-in relationship life format. One of the major reasons may be the time. In our modern society, professionals always feel the lack of time for raising children when they are thinking of achieving something big in life. Managing with wife can children could be a hindrance in the path of achievement, so man and women opt for live-in relationship. On the other hand, sex is a desire and need of a human. So to satisfy their sexual urge, which is equally important as water or food, they go for live-in relationship.
Another reason is freedom and education of women. In earlier times, girls who normally never thought about sleeping with a man whom she did not marry , due to strict social and religious norms, are willing to have sexual relationships. It is the freedom and advancement of women which contributes to their consent to be in live-in relationships.
Another factor is the boldness among present females. There are a lot of examples of huge sufferings of women after marriage for dowry or unjust treatment by husband that every woman has seen. So women too prefer to know, understand and choose a person whom they want to stay with.
Rise in toll of dangerous diseases like AIDS has helped to bring sexual awareness among educated teenagers and adults. Today’s boy-friend and girl-friend culture have given rise to mutual consent to get into physical relationship. They prefer to have sex with the person they know rather than getting into physical relations with sex workers or prostitutes.
Marriage is considered as a relationship in which husband and wife stays loyal sexually towards each other. Today’s’ modern world provide opportunities to seek enjoyment from numerous options, why should people control their natural urges. Also, new safety pills and medicines have made sex lot safer which is a big relief for women due to which they could enjoy sex without any fear.
Most above all, internet has contributes to full scale in making young girls aware of sexuality. Teenagers living in cities are fully aware of each aspect of sex in modern society. Thousands of porn sites contribute to create an urge to try everything they see and act in similar way.
Our modern work environment provided lots of opportunities for both males and females to talk everything freely. Some of the organizations encourage the couples and so other singles also follow to find one for them.
