wfn.org | Christians Hail the Indian Divorce Amendment Act 2001

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@wfn.org>]

New Delhi, 2 September, 2001

THIS IS A JOINT PRESS STATEMENT BY:
    THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE OF INDIA (CBCI)
    NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES IN INDIA (NCCI)
    JOINT WOMEN'S PROGRAMME (JWP)

The Christian community in India, particularly women, have expressed
their happiness at the latest amendments made to the Indian Divorce Act
1869 by the parliament. The Amendment Bill, to take effect as soon as
the President gives his assent to it, removes gross gender inequality
existent in the Act.

The community thanks all political parties in the parliament who have
endorsed the passage of the Bill.

The legislation is a milestone in the long struggle of the Community,
especially the Joint Women's Programme, CBCI and NCCI that came together
on their own to update its outdated laws, relating to marriage, divorce,
adoption and succession. The legislation by way of amendment of the
Indian Divorce Act is also unique as an ecumenical effort of the entire
community, including women's groups within the community.

The demand for amendments in the 1869 Act began almost 40 years but its
efforts began to crystalize from 1991 onwards.

While the Community thanks the Government for this step, it calls on the
government to take immediate steps to fulfill other long pending
demands, namely amendment to the Indian Succession Act 1925 so as to
treat Christians at par with other communities and also enactment of
Christian adoption law. It is to be noted that currently there is no
adoption law for Christians in India.

Jyotsna Chatterjee                          Archbishop Oswald Gracias
Joint Women's Programme         Catholic Bishops' Conference of India

A. Francis Julian
National Council of Churches in India

Issued by Rev. Dr. Dominic Emmanuel svd
Director of Communication/Information Bureau
Contact person: Dominic Emmanuel svd
e-mail: dominic1@vsnl.com
0091 11 3363214; 3369582