A very unusual and personal dispute has reached the Uttarakhand High Court. It is a divorce case, but the reason is not quite common. A woman is seeking a divorce because her husband is not following Hindu ritual, as he is a dedicated follower of the self-proclaimed saint Rampal and does not believe in traditional Hindu gods and customs. Moreover, her in-laws are also allegedly not allowing her to worship Hindu deities.
In her petition to the court, the woman explained her side of the story in detail. She described herself as a very religious person who has an immense devotion towards her Hindu faith. She stated that Hinduism wasn’t just a religion for her, but her whole “way of life,” and she follows its customs with great devotion.
She claims that her husband and his whole family, however, are followers of Rampal, and that they do not follow Hindu rituals. This was a fundamental difference in belief that has made it impossible for her to continue living with him.
She narrated some specific and hurtful incidents. The woman told the court that the family of her husband not only followed their own beliefs but also pressured her to abandon her Hindu religion and customs. In a move that deeply upset her, she said they removed the small temple she kept in her home. More than that, she claimed they took her idols of Hindu deities, wrapped them in cloth, and placed them outside the house.
The issues also extended to directly impacting their young son. The wife wanted to give the child the traditional Hindu ‘naming ceremony’. Her husband refused outright to allow it. He told her that his “spiritual guru” does not follow or believe in this tradition, so he would not let it be for their child.
This legal battle did not begin at the High Court. The woman had first approached the Nainital Family Court to seek a divorce. The court had heard her plea but rejected her demand for a divorce. Not willing to accept the decision, she then decided to file an appeal before the High Court of Uttarakhand. A division bench of the High Court, comprising Justice Ravindra Maithani and Justice Alok Mahara, heard the arguments of both the woman and her husband.
The court has not granted a divorce as of now, but ordered the couple to go for counselling. The judges want the spouses to explore any possibility of working things out or at least finding a peaceful solution. The court’s main concern is to protect the future of their 7-year-old son, who is caught in the middle of this painful family dispute.
