Shashi Tharoor seeks 'proper law' against marital rape in India: 'It’s violence, not conjugal love'

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. (File photo)

Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday said he was shocked that India remains one of the few democracies where marital rape is not viewed with the seriousness it deserves, despite having stringent anti-rape laws.

Tharoor said, "I am shocked to find that India is one of the few democracies in the world where the case of a husband raping his wife without her consent is not treated with the seriousness as it should have been." He pointed out that while India has strong anti-rape law, there are exceptions for husbands which is nothing but marital rape violating a woman without her consent.

He was speaking at a programme organised by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation in association with the FICCI Ladies Organisation.

"Why should they (husbands) be exempted?" the Congress leader asked, adding "If one doesn’t respect his life partner and rapes her against her wishes citing conjugal relationship that is violation of law and violence against women."

"We think a proper law against domestic rape is massively necessary in the country. It is however sad that even women ministers holding particular portfolios did not look into this aspect," to prevent such atrocities, he said.

Observing that there is an implicit assumption that "marital rape" can be allowed within a conjugal marriage, he reiterated, "It is not part of conjugal love — it is violence." "We need to stand up for rights of women, which in many ways are being overlooked. We should speak out," Tharoor said to thunderous applause of the audience.

Tharoor was replying to a question by a female college student during a 'tête-à-tea' with him and his sisters, Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan and Smita Tharoor, at the GD Birla Sabhagar in Kolkata.