india

Updated: Sep 18, 2019 06:56 IST

Days after UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath exhorted educational institutions to teach students about ‘triple talaq’ Bill and women empowerment, the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University in Bareilly has introduced a course on the subject for its law students.

University’s head of the Law Department Amit Singh said the syllabus was revised to include Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2019 from September 11, in perhaps the “first” such move by any university following CM Adityanath’s Teachers’ Day appeal asking for the path-breaking legislation to become part of curricula in state institutions.

Singh expressed hope that studying the law would create awareness and a positive impact. “One of our students is already pursuing her doctorate on triple talaq,” he said.

Farhat Naqvi, whose NGO frequently takes up ‘triple talaq’ cases, hoped that other universities will follow suit and help create awareness especially among women students, she added that despite the ban, women in Uttar Pradesh were getting instant ‘triple talaq’, even “by SMS”.

According to the police, western UP tops the list for ‘triple talaq’ cases ever since the Bill banning it was passed, with 26 registered cases in Meerut, 17 in Saharanpur and 10 in Shamli. The three districts have a seizable Muslim population, said a senior police official.

“The major reasons behind cases of triple talaq are dowry, property dispute and domestic violence, as per the FIRs lodged,” said DIG of Bareilly range, Rajesh Pandey.

Farhat Naqvi, however, lamented that no arrest had been made in the majority of cases and alleged the police were not pursuing them seriously enough. Pandey rejected the allegation and said the UP Police had clear instructions to follow the ‘triple talaq’ law in letter and spirit. He added that the decision on arrests had to be taken on a case-to-case basis. He said the men in khaki were being sensitised about the issue and an impact analysis would be carried out very soon to assess the Act’s implementation.