Is It Proper To Debate Divorces?

In our civilized societies, we have means to handle such divorce issues gingerly and our courts follow all niceties, and social etiquette and settle the matter mostly in camera. When viewed against this backdrop, don't our debates and discussions about divorces on our TV channels look crude, uncivilised, unacceptable? They do not serve any social purposes, let alone patching up the rift between the couples. They of course definitely fill the coffers of some channels and boost their TRP ratings. Therefore, such debates are like adding insult to injury for the unfortunate couples

"Marriage is honourable in all," says the Bible. Our Vedas, epics, and cultural rituals involved in a matrimonial ceremony have all made the "Unoin of two Souls" sacrosanct, believed to be attended and blessed by legions of our Gods. We all know, marriage brings two families together, for a woman, in particular, it is a new life altogether. She has to leave behind her parents, siblings and home, start a new life, with a new man, often with a new name, in a new place, and in a new domestic set-up.

Woman is made to believe that her husband is an embodiment of God," the results of her good deeds and prayers,and a chosen boon from God," as lyricist Acharya Attreya put it in a film song. As time goes by, she has to accept new chores, new challenges as an expectant mother, new responsibilities as a mother, new roles as a mother-in-law, as a granny and nanny. Though some of the things said above are shared by man also, they mean everything and a lot for woman.

If everything in their married life goes well, man and woman feel that they are under an ever-green bower, on a rain bow, on cloud nine. But, alas, when the holy knot is torn, when the promises made at the marriage are broken, when the couple come under the evil spell of fairies, man and woman are constrained to part ways, live their lives separately. When the couples are celebrities, they become willy-nilly the talk of the town, a hot topic of debate, remain in focus, as long as Tom, Dick and Harry have steam to debate their separation or divorce threadbare, and find sadistic pleasure in the topic.

In these days and times of electronic media, the unfortunate couples and their ill-fated marriages have become a commodity for TV channels in particular who make moolah in the form of debates and discussions with COMMERCIAL BREAKS on an hourly and daily basis! The point here is that is it right and proper to debate divorces in a TV channel or on a public platform for commercial purposes? What social and moral purpose does it serve? Do the separated people need it?

It goes without saying that in a democracy, the Press and the electronic media play a vital role in the interest of people and for the society as a whole. TV channels have enormous hold on the general public in moulding and influencing their views, opinions, and decisions. That is why most political parties either own them or buy their space and time by hook or crook. Nothing wrong when these channels discuss and debate issues like corruption among politicians and officials, nepotism, casteism, unemployment, and et al. But these media arms have no right or LOCUS STANDI to debate private and personal issues like a divorce in a family.

We all know that for some people, marriage, like life, is a boon and a blessing, and for some others, it is a bane, or a curse. When a marriage becomes a debacle, many people in our homes suffer silently, but some others pick up guts to face the situation squarely and to seek ways and means to come out of such a trying and painful "wedlock"! It is purely a personal choice as far as the star-crossed couple is concerned, because such separation often leaves deep wounds and causes unbearable trauma to the couple and to their kith and kin.

Hence in our civilized societies, we have means to handle such divorce issues gingerly and our courts follow all niceties, and social etiquette and settle the matter mostly in camera. When viewed against this backdrop, don't our debates and discussions about divorces on our TV channels look crude, uncivilized, unacceptable? They do not serve any social purposes,let alone patching up the rift between the couples. They of course definitely fill the coffers of some channels and boost their TRP ratings.Therefore, personally I feel that such debates are like adding insult to injury for the unfortunate couples.

However it is left to the sheer discretion of our channels whether or not to indulge in such UNNECESSARY, AVOIDABLE, UNETHICAL, PURPOSELESS debates on divorces.

M Somasekhar Prasad, Hyderabad