It is said marriages are made in heaven but, on the flip side divorce takes place on earth. Indian Hindu mythology is ripe with numerous examples and stories that reflect upon the commitment, persistence and adherence to the marriage institution.
In Satyug, a period of time where truth, fairness prevailed the classic case of Savitri and Satyavan comes to mind. To put it briefly, Savitri a princess endowed with noble virtues fell in love with a Satyavan a prince who was practicing austerity. Satyavan was destined to die young and Narad the sage had forewarned Savitri that if she was to marry Satyavan she would be a widow in a year.
Savitri undeterred by the warning went ahead married Satyavan, denounced the materialistic worldly life and started living with Satyavan in the forest. A year passed and as destiny had in store Satyavan lay dead beside Savitri. Lord Yama (God of Death) came himself to claim the Satyavans' soul which was pious and pure.
Savitri realizing that it is the soul which is supreme followed Lord Yama and with her unrelenting persistence, resolute devotion and wit impressed Yama which resulted in Satyavan coming back to life.
Well ,did this happen or not? we may never know, but it does depict Savitris' strength of character and thereby constructs an iconic image in our minds.
In the present day context, Kalyug, a time period characterized by selfishness, deceit, corruption, there has been a metamorphic change in the social marriage institution. Modern day marriages have become transaction oriented (give and take elements) thereby often resulting in friction. Emotions have taken a back seat
and material goods are the driving force( give me------).A sense of competition which has crept in where the man and wife play a win-lose game rather than a collaborative and complementary role resulting in a win-win outcome. This is when the Indian woman has emerged empowered, and independent. Terms such as it is my Money, my Car, etc are commonly expressed. The questions are you not mine is often found missing. How may husbands or wives want to answer to this unflinchingly without any demands and promises? There is zero tolerance with self interest and ego found in both partners which generally precedes everything else. Thus the marital relationships have become more fragile-long working hours, less time spent together, sub nuclear families, etc are the usual culprits.
One can find supporting figures World Values Survey : June 11th, 2007 (Asia, OECD, Social, Statistic, World) which provides some meaningful insights.
Divorce rates have been increasing in India, show court figures. And this societal trend is visible not only among the rich in big cities but also among the not so affluent in small towns.
New Delhi leads with the highest number of divorces in the country, with more than 8,000-9,000 cases every year, followed by Mumbai and Bangalore where the figures have doubled in the past decade, hovering between 4,000 and 5,000. Kolkata and Chennai, the bastions of tradition, are also not far behind with a significant rise of 200 per cent in such cases, according to data compiled from various State courts and the Crime Records Bureau. Punjab and Haryana, both agricultural States, have seen an increase of 150 per cent. Kerala, with the most literate people and the land of Gulf money, recorded an increase of 350 per cent in the last 10 years.
Divorce rates are soaring among India's newly affluent middle classes, as working women with independent incomes refuse to submit to the traditional ideal of marriage and on the other hand the Indian male is confused, perplexed and still not completely ready to accept this social change. So what------- maybe asked well instead of being judgmental, perceiving the situation from a different perspective results in the emergence of the articles title Generation X-the Axe factor.
Actually this Generation X-the Axe factor translates into a dire need for specialized support services and presents a unique opportunity in the niche family life cycle segment. If you're divorced, one of you for sure needs everything. You've got just one bed, just one refrigerator. So you need another one." Citing some notable examples-Second Shaadi.com, a matrimonial portal is positioned as a platform for people exploring the option for remarriage (as the name says Second marriage),Legal services etc. The single parent has to earn for his or her child and therefore needs crèche and play stations.Social networking sites have come up to fill the emotional vacuum, Bigadda.com, Fropper.com, Friendorama.com, Orkut all promise virtual friendship! New sites ( www.happycouples.in) are promising happiness, bliss through counselling and behavioral modification therapeutic services.The role of NGO's is important in terms of counselling.
Well the debate on divorce (to be or not to be) is sadly a never ending one but it does offer opportunities in a Generation Ex- axe factor kind of way.
In Satyug, a period of time where truth, fairness prevailed the classic case of Savitri and Satyavan comes to mind. To put it briefly, Savitri a princess endowed with noble virtues fell in love with a Satyavan a prince who was practicing austerity. Satyavan was destined to die young and Narad the sage had forewarned Savitri that if she was to marry Satyavan she would be a widow in a year.
Savitri undeterred by the warning went ahead married Satyavan, denounced the materialistic worldly life and started living with Satyavan in the forest. A year passed and as destiny had in store Satyavan lay dead beside Savitri. Lord Yama (God of Death) came himself to claim the Satyavans' soul which was pious and pure.
Savitri realizing that it is the soul which is supreme followed Lord Yama and with her unrelenting persistence, resolute devotion and wit impressed Yama which resulted in Satyavan coming back to life.
Well ,did this happen or not? we may never know, but it does depict Savitris' strength of character and thereby constructs an iconic image in our minds.
In the present day context, Kalyug, a time period characterized by selfishness, deceit, corruption, there has been a metamorphic change in the social marriage institution. Modern day marriages have become transaction oriented (give and take elements) thereby often resulting in friction. Emotions have taken a back seat
and material goods are the driving force( give me------).A sense of competition which has crept in where the man and wife play a win-lose game rather than a collaborative and complementary role resulting in a win-win outcome. This is when the Indian woman has emerged empowered, and independent. Terms such as it is my Money, my Car, etc are commonly expressed. The questions are you not mine is often found missing. How may husbands or wives want to answer to this unflinchingly without any demands and promises? There is zero tolerance with self interest and ego found in both partners which generally precedes everything else. Thus the marital relationships have become more fragile-long working hours, less time spent together, sub nuclear families, etc are the usual culprits.
One can find supporting figures World Values Survey : June 11th, 2007 (Asia, OECD, Social, Statistic, World) which provides some meaningful insights.
Divorce rates have been increasing in India, show court figures. And this societal trend is visible not only among the rich in big cities but also among the not so affluent in small towns.
New Delhi leads with the highest number of divorces in the country, with more than 8,000-9,000 cases every year, followed by Mumbai and Bangalore where the figures have doubled in the past decade, hovering between 4,000 and 5,000. Kolkata and Chennai, the bastions of tradition, are also not far behind with a significant rise of 200 per cent in such cases, according to data compiled from various State courts and the Crime Records Bureau. Punjab and Haryana, both agricultural States, have seen an increase of 150 per cent. Kerala, with the most literate people and the land of Gulf money, recorded an increase of 350 per cent in the last 10 years.
Divorce rates are soaring among India's newly affluent middle classes, as working women with independent incomes refuse to submit to the traditional ideal of marriage and on the other hand the Indian male is confused, perplexed and still not completely ready to accept this social change. So what------- maybe asked well instead of being judgmental, perceiving the situation from a different perspective results in the emergence of the articles title Generation X-the Axe factor.
Actually this Generation X-the Axe factor translates into a dire need for specialized support services and presents a unique opportunity in the niche family life cycle segment. If you're divorced, one of you for sure needs everything. You've got just one bed, just one refrigerator. So you need another one." Citing some notable examples-Second Shaadi.com, a matrimonial portal is positioned as a platform for people exploring the option for remarriage (as the name says Second marriage),Legal services etc. The single parent has to earn for his or her child and therefore needs crèche and play stations.Social networking sites have come up to fill the emotional vacuum, Bigadda.com, Fropper.com, Friendorama.com, Orkut all promise virtual friendship! New sites ( www.happycouples.in) are promising happiness, bliss through counselling and behavioral modification therapeutic services.The role of NGO's is important in terms of counselling.
Well the debate on divorce (to be or not to be) is sadly a never ending one but it does offer opportunities in a Generation Ex- axe factor kind of way.