Author(s): Dr. Harsha Suryawanshi

Abstract: Cruelty is not new for human beings but is imbibed in the society even during rise of civilization notwithstanding that civilization and cruelty are dichotomous. Might is right is rule of the wild life but followed by human beings too. One who can dominate and wants to dominate always try to be authoritative and to maintain his authority, he tries to oppress and suppress the down trodden. Here authority and the down trodden differ with reference to time, place, gender, etc. Family is the smallest unit of society formed through institution of marriage. Marriage has social as well as legal perspectives and cruelty is one such facet. Cruelty to women or wife more specifically was not objectionable or unlawful until 80s in India. With increasing number of instances of dowry deaths consequent to cruelty awakened the feminist world and ultimately the legislature to take legal initiative to make cruelty an offence punishable under law. S. 498-A was introduced in 1984 in IPC to tackle the problem of cruelty in marital life and the section has reached its forties and needs to be reviewed in view of changed time and circumstances. Present research work is an effort to analyse critically concept of cruelty.

Keywords: Cruelty, Marriage, Law, Society.

DOI:10.61165/sk.publisher.v11i12.36

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Balancing Conflicting Interests of Matrimonial Cruelty: Issues and Challenges

Pages:175-180