The Madhya Pradesh High Court has nullified a marriage, declaring that a husband’s insistence on his wife discontinuing her education constitutes mental cruelty. The court’s decision underscored the profound impact of educational deprivation on personal development and marital harmony.
In a significant ruling by the Indore bench, Justices Vivek Rusia and Gajendra Singh overturned a previous decision by a family court in Shajapur district, which had denied the woman’s initial divorce plea. The High Court’s judgment came after careful consideration of the woman’s challenging predicament where she was compelled to forsake her educational aspirations shortly after her marriage in 2015.
The appellant had married a man from Shajapur after completing her Class 12 examinations and expressed a desire to pursue further studies, which was met with staunch opposition from her in-laws. Mere days following the wedding, she found herself returning to her parental home and seeking legal separation, a request the family court had rejected by urging her to return to her marital home.
However, the High Court highlighted the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage, noting that the couple had lived apart since July 2016 with no prospects for reconciliation. “Compelling the wife to discontinue her studies or creating an environment where she is unable to continue her education is equivalent to destroying her dreams at the very beginning of her marital life,” the judgment read.
The court further remarked on the mental cruelty inflicted by forcing the wife to live with a person “who is neither educated nor eager to improve himself.” It concluded that such circumstances justified the dissolution of the marriage under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
During the proceedings, the court also referenced a quote by American philosopher John Dewey, emphasizing, “Education is not just about preparing for life, but it is life itself,” thereby reinforcing the essential role of education in personal and societal development.
