T'puram is Kerala's divorce capital too

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thiruvananthapuram, the State capital, is the capital of divorce cases too, according to the data provided by the State Government. The district saw 6,000 divorce cases in 2011 in its two family courts, at Thiruvananthapuram and Nedumangad. From body odour to infidelity, anything can be a reason for separation, according to the  data from various divorce cases filed last year.  “Majority of the cases sprout from the problems of adjustment between partners. There is an increasing trend in the marriages from 2002 for divorce,” says T Geena Kumari, a counsel who specialises in family cases. She points to ‘adjustment problems’, with  single children and the couples’ parental interference for the increase in number of cases. According to the data provided by the State Government, southern Kerala has a high percentage of cases. Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts account for nearly one-third of the total cases. A total of 10,243 cases have been filed in the four family courts in the two districts. The 18 family courts of the State had a total 38,231 cases filed last year, according to the reply given by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to a question by Mullakkara Ratnakaran in the Assembly the other day. “The rate of dowry is high in the southern districts. There are instances where the husband asks for more dowry after the birth of a girl. There are many cases of the husband and his family demanding more dowry after the marriage of the wife’s sister by comparing the amount,” says Geena. But dowry may not be the villain in all places. For example, Kannur, the district where dowry is almost a taboo, comes second in the State list. “Property cases between partners can be taken as one of the reasons behind the divorce cases. But cruelty is another. Another prominent reason is adultery. These types of cases are increasing in the district, with a large number of men working abroad, leaving their families here. Many cases arise from mere suspicion,” says B P Saseendran, another counsel who practises in Kannur and Thalassery courts. The relationship between husband and wife also gets strained owing to the modern modes of social networking. “Most of the relationships between married men and women start off as mere friendship. But they end up in extra-marital relationships, if they are suffering from a bad marriage. Mobile phones and Internet chatting form a smooth medium for the marriages to rock as they offer more chances to meet and share their feelings than before,” says Geena. The experts list some more factors for the increasing number of divorce cases. ‘’The new-age woman is in no mood to suffer for the sake of marriage. She would say NO when she is fed up. Economic independence and awareness about her sexuality and rights are some of the reasons that influence a woman who is trying to get out of the tyranny,” says Rejitha, who works with ‘Sakhi’, an organisation dealing with problems faced by women.