Kanu Sarda By

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday expressed serious concern over the increase in divorce cases among educated couples in the country, and said that this trend must come to an end and couples should try to amicably resolve issues between themselves.

A vacation bench of Justices A M Sapre and Ashok Bhushan while hearing a plea of a couple fighting for their divorce case observed, “Why (are) people in educated class fighting over minor things? Its better if both of you can sit together and sort out your differences.”

The bench advised the counsel appearing for both the parties to hold talks and said, “We would be happy to see you together.”

Till a few years ago, relatively few matrimonial disputes reached the courts. But now, with more awareness of one’s rights, pro-women laws (which in a small number of cases have been misused), and stressful lifestyles, more than half the cases in urban courts are marriage-related.

This case is not the first in which the apex court has made such observations.

Earlier this week, in another matrimonial dispute hearing, the judges remarked, “Vacation is for enjoyment and couples should spend some time together and start life afresh.”

The remarks were made on hearing the plea of a woman who wanted the court to hear her matrimonial dispute case on priority.

The court, however, advised her to try and end the dispute amicably instead.

The Supreme Court, in several past rulings, has cited the reason for increasing divorce cases being the waning influence of family and the joint family system, the growing psychological and financial independence of women, and late marriages resulting in a greater reluctance to compromise or change set ways and lifestyles.

Everyday, hundreds of divorce cases are being filed at various courts across the country, as divorce is no longer a taboo and couples are less tolerant of imperfections in each other and their marriages.