Exchange of vital financial-information of families necessary before marriage


SUBHASH CHANDRA AGRAWAL
(Guinness Record Holder & RTI Consultant)

Marriage-relations were fixed usually amongst known families in ancient times. But with fast modernisation of society equipped with social networking, marriages are now-a-days fixed at times even through chatting without any personal meeting between marrying couple, what to talk about any meeting between family-members of two sides. Result is India following a western culture where spouses are changed like clothes. Unlike in ancient era when marriage-ties were considered life-long union, there is often lack of trust between husband and wife resulting in unhappy married and family life.

Since one of the main reasons in such case is hiding or misrepresentation of income and financial-background from the other side, central government should consider idea of making it compulsory for exchange of finance-documents of two sides including Income Tax returns. In case two sides agree on exchange of financial details of just bride and groom, it should be in writing to avoid unnecessary harassment to other family-members in later matrimonial-disputes. Cases of cheating bride-side through false presentation of income and financial-becoming increasing, where such married girls have dark future ahead after knowing actual income and financial background, may be resulting in even suicides by victim girls.

System will also result in checking tax-evasion where people will find it advantageous to disclose higher income in the Income Tax returns in fear of feeling problems in getting good matrimonial match. Rather status-conscious society will race for declaring more and more income to get a higher place in a competitive society. All this is necessary because Income Tax returns are not assessable under RTI Act. Provision can be legislated with proposed bill for making marriage-registration compulsory.