Protest over proposal of “Ministry of Women and Child Development” to offer tax rebates to divorced women

29^th Jan 2016

Bangalore

To,

The Hon’ble President,

Rashtrapati Bhavan                                            

New Delhi – 110 004

Phone: 011 23015321

Subject: Protest over proposal of “Ministry of Women and Child Development” to offer tax rebates to divorced women.

About National Family Harmony Society®: “National Family Harmony Society®” NFHS is a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) promoting the cause of “family harmony” and “gender equality”. It is registered under “The Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960” and is based in Bangalore. We have branches in more than 16 states and in abroad too. We have approximately 14500 members all over India. To know more about us please visit http://www.family-harmony.org / http://www.498a.org.in.

Dear Sir,

We saw recent article in a section of media that “Ministry of Women and Child Development” has sent a proposal to the Finance ministry to offer tax rebates to divorced women.

1. If tax rebates are offered to “senior citizens” OR to those family who sacrificed their life for nation OR to those “physically disabled” then we can fully understand the intention of the government. But to offer tax rebates to divorced women is bizarre.
2. On the contrary, we should do every-thing to discourage the phenomenon of Divorce in the society but the proposal seems to be encouraging Divorces.
3. Just curious to know, why every proposal from Ministry of women and child development seems to be focusing on women and not for child development? And in the context of women also they seems to be focusing only of divorced women or young daughter-in-law. The older mother-in-law are not women?
4. The very thought of proposal of tax benefit to women who have broken family is very funny. Law must be made in such a way that our culture and traditions of years are protected and safeguarded. Already due to the onslaught of western culture it is very rare to see Joint Families, which are replaced by nuclear families. If government will make such laws of giving benefit to divorced women then indirectly breaking of families will be accelerated.
5. Already there are five laws in India by which women can claim alimony, property and monthly maintenance from Ex Husband. Is that not enough that this new proposal is being brought.
6. In this modern era we should make laws which are “Gender Neutral”. There are thousands of farmers who end their life unable to pay loans, let’s give tax break to them instead of well earning women.
7. If I recall correctly then women are exempted to pay tax till 3 lakh per annum that works out to be 25,000/- INR per month. Is it logical to give tax break to people earning 25K?
8. A divorced women may be getting 10 lakh per annum and a poor man getting 3 lakh per annum. Who deserve tax break in this case?

DEMAND

We demand your intervention and direction to Finance Ministry not to accept any such proposal from “Ministry of Women and Child Development”. Kindly send this petition for the kind consideration of Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitely.

P Suresh, President, 9880141531

National Family Harmony Society