A substantial number of Indian men, irrespective of their religion or community, practise polygamy finding ingenious ways to get round the law.

Some enter into conversations of convenience others resort to "friendship pacts" or live-in relationship – all pointing to a need for more stringent legislation ..

A sample survey by Dr. Kanti Prasad of the Indian Statistical Institute reveals that contrary to popular belief 72 out of 1,000 non-Muslims have more than one wife while only 15 Muslims in 1,000 practise bigamy.

Social scientists maintain that as the conditions under which polygamy could be permitted are no longer exist, the practice has been severely restricted. Legal restrictions over the years have, to a great extent, succeeded to preventing the ... practice and made way for monogamy. But quite a few men would like to adopt a polygamous lifestyle ...

In a recent case, the Supreme Court decided that "a non-Muslim husband whose personal law does not allow bigamy cannot, by announcing conversion to Islam, marry again without divorcing his first wife according to law".

According to author Dr. Zeenat Shaukat Ali, a study of the laws of various countries show how directly or indirectly monogamy has been introduced.

She points out in her book the Empowerment of Women in Islam that in India and Pakistan, the dissolution in the Muslim Marriage Act, 1939 has contributed a great deal toward discouraging the practice of polygamy.      (Source: The Indian Currents, 17-12 January, 1998)