'Against society's rules': Indian government, younger generations in continuous tug of war over live-in-relationships

Union Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitin Gadkari has clarified his stance on live-in-relationships in India, terming it "wrong". 

In a recent YouTube podcat, the Union Minister was asked about his views on live-in-relationships. "I went to the British Parliament in London where I met the Prime Minister and the foreign minister and they asked what the biggest issue in their country was. I said poverty, unemployment, starvation etc. When I asked them the same question, they said the biggest issue in European countries was that majority young population was not getting married", he said. 

Gadkari further further expressed his concern, saying, "How will children be born, what will be their future. If you dismantle the social lifestyle, what kind of impact will it have on people?"

Notably, this is not the first time a BJP leader has opposed live-in-relationships. Earlier, BJP leader Dharambir Singh called for the eradication of live-in-relationships, calling it a "dangerous disease". 

"Such relationships are very common in western nations but this evil is fast spreading in our society also and the consequences are horrible. Recently, the case of Shraddha (Walkar) and Aftab (Poonawala) had come to light in which both were in a live-in relationship," Singh said in the Lok Sabha in 2023. 

In 2022, in the aftermath of a gruesome murder of Shraddha Walkar by her live-in-partner Aftab Poonawalla, the then-Union Minister of State, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Kaushal Kishore, had remarked that "educated women are complicit in violence against them when they opt for non-traditional relationships over marriages."

Uttarakhand's UCC bill gives recognition to live-in-relationships for first time in India 

On February 6, 2024, the Uttarakhand government led by the BJP scripted history by passing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state assembly - one of the long-standing poll promises by the party. 

A significant highlight of the bill was the recognition of live-in-relationships in India. Crucial to mention that live-in-relationships are not legal in India. 

The UCC calls for the registration of live-in relationships just like marriages. It also states that live-in partners must not be under 18. In what may be a first, the government has revealed that registration of live-ins would be possible online, as per a report in The Times of India.

Moreover, the bill states that the parents of the couples aged between 18 and 21 will be informed about their children's live-in relationships. As per the provisions, anyone staying in a live-in relationship for more than a month without getting it registered will be punished with an imprisonment up to three months or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or even both.

According to a report by Deccan Herald, a facility that will enable live-in and married couples to register their relationship is in the process of being introduced. The UCC has not been implemented in the state yet. 

What are the concerns of the government?

As mentioned earlier, in view of the gruesome murder of Shraddha Walkar by her live-in-partner Aftab Poonawalla in Delhi, several concerns were raised regarding domestic abuse against women. 

According to several media reports, another concern is that if the couples decide to have children without marriage, there might be suspicions regarding the kid's upbringing. One of the prominent concerns in live-in relationships is the lack of property rights for the partner who does not have a property. In marriage, property rights are clearly underlined. 

Gen-Z thinks, 'Live and let Live-in'

After the UCC was passed in the Uttarakhand assembly, a massive debate was triggered on the validity of live-in-relationships. Several opine that the bill is a 'breach of privacy'. While, many others are not comfortable revealing their relationship status to their families or friends. 

Jiyaajit Kaur Sethi (23), a nutritionist who is keen to get into a live-in relationship says, “It allows couples to understand not just each other’s personalities but manage finances, divide household chores and navigate through each other’s behaviour and conflicting schedules, as quoted by Deccan Chronicle. 

“One thing common between both the cases is lack of consent. When two adults are consenting for a live-in it should be their right. However, in case of marital rape, when one person is not consenting to sexual intercourse, it becomes the right of the other person to still perform the act just because they are a married couple,” she opines.