The State government's sudden concern over the rising divorce cases in the State is shocking, to say the least, because it comes at a time when the discourse is about survival as Covid goes on a rampage. Law Minister Nilesh Cabral's announcement of adding a layer of counselling for couples seeking to tie the marital knot is poorly timed and reflects a sheer lack of concern to what is unfolding right in front of our eyes.
The minister plans to make counselling certificate mandatory before the final registration to bring down divorce cases which are stated to be around 365 every year. Undoubtedly, counselling and mental fitness are crucial aspects of living, and in the existing scenario more than anyone else, it is the people and who are caught in the Covid whirlpool that needs redressal. Counselling is needed for citizens whose lives and livelihoods have been snatched away and who are undergoing trauma and mental fatigue. Counselling is needed for students who are staring at a sudden vacuum caused by cancelled exams. Counselling is needed for families who are dealing with multiple Covid blows within families. Counselling is needed for those who are rendered jobless and for those whose bread-earner has been snatched away.
Moreover, even if the government considers it urgent to try and save marriages through counselling, it has to first make a calculated assessment or such exercises introduced in other departments like education. Students have been counselled over fears of failure, emotional depression, social inequalities and various other issues, but has this worked? Or are we just paying lip service to the mental health of young students?
The Catholic community has mandatory counselling sessions on conjugal and family life, imparting pre-matrimony education on marriage formation, family life, responsible parenthood, social issues and family association. Key sessions cover the commitment of a man and a woman to the relationship of marriage.
On the other side, there are socio-economic effects on marriages. Marriage counsellors have attributed this rise in divorce rates to couples being disconnected due to overseas employment. Goa has witnessed an exodus in recent years with people taking the Portuguese passport route to seek jobs in the United Kingdom. Also, the greater workforce participation of women could be a contributing factor. The State government hasn't helped in creating jobs either.
Split in marriages is not a recent phenomenon, it’s showing an upward trend for almost two decades and the government will have to dwell on the various factors that are associated with matrimony and family lives. However, this is not the time. We currently have a herculean task at hand and together we need to fight this out.
The government must counsel the law minister on the priorities of the State and the need to remain focused on what Goans are facing right now. At least show some respect to those who are grieving rather than try and distract them with such unseemly irrelevant and odd-hourly talk.
