Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A dispute over their unborn child’s religion led to a couple’s divorce—even before the pregnancy had reached the foetal stage. A song from the 1959 Bollywood film Dhool Ka Phool, penned by Sahir Ludhianvi—”Tu Hindu Banega Na Musalman Banega” (A child will neither be a Hindu nor a Muslim)—played out in reverse as a Hindu-Muslim couple found themselves at odds over whether their future child would be raised as Hindu or Muslim.
The unborn child, or “insaan ki aulad” (child of humanity), did not even exist yet, but the couple still chose to separate. The couple, a Muslim woman and a Hindu man, had been in a relationship for five years before tying the knot nearly two years ago. Their families had consented to the marriage, and both were medical professionals.
However, their marital bliss was short-lived. When the woman conceived after eight months of marriage, discussions over the child’s religious upbringing soon turned into heated argument. She insisted that the issue be resolved before the baby’s birth.
When no compromise was reached, the couple decided to terminate the pregnancy. Despite his Hindu background, the man actively followed Muslim traditions—regularly visiting mosques for Namaz five times a day, fasting during Ramzan, and offering Taraweeh prayers.
The woman, however, was not satisfied. She named their house after her surname and repeatedly questioned her husband, asking, “Will our child be raised as a Hindu or a Muslim? What festivals will the child celebrate?” She refused to move forward with family planning until this matter was settled.
Court counsellor Shail Awasthi, who handled the case, told Free Press that the man attempted to reassure his wife, saying, “If we could marry despite our different religions, why does it matter what faith our child follows? The child should have the right to choose.” However, the woman remained firm in her stance.
Frustrated, the man reportedly told her, “Take everything I have—my money, my house, my possessions—but give me a divorce.” With no resolution in sight, the couple approached the Bhopal district family court, which granted them a divorce by mutual consent, bringing their marriage to an abrupt end over the religious identity of a child that never was.
