Has the Codified Hindu Law Changed Gender Relationships?

Abstract

In the context of the current debate around enactment of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), there seems to be a tacit acceptance that the codified Hindu family law will form the base of such a code. In this context, it has become necessary to examine whether the codified Hindu law, applicable to around 80 per cent of our population, has helped to bring about social transformation and change gender relationships. ¹ At times, the continuation of the Hindu Undivided Family property is perceived as its main lacunae, but the discriminatory aspects of the Hindu cultural ethos which dominate the Hindu law of marriage are seldom held up for scrutiny. The ritual of kanyadaan; the notion that girls are paraya dhan; the pious obligation of a Hindu father to marry off his daughter which then gives boost to dowry; the view that Hindu marriages are sacramental and the accompanying pati-parameshwar concept; the premium placed on virgin brides which pressurises parents to perform child marriages and so on still dominate our social ethos and judicial discourse.