Naam mein kya rakhha hai (what lies in a name) ?

Suppose you change your name, file an Affidavit, update your PAN card and Passport, and you move on…

One fine day, you decide to take a course in a reputed government institution – National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore and you fill the on-line form.

Now by what name should you be taking admission ? Old name or new name ?

New name – logical. Hold on !

It does not happen here; the institute does not allow you to take admission by your new name even if you submit your supporting documents – Affidavit, updated Passport, updated PAN card, etc., in the very FIRST instance.

The reason…

University rule says that the candidate will be admitted as per his/her old name as it appears in Degree certificate. AFTER completion of his/her admission procedure, he/she will have to apply for the name change with a prescribed Fee on a prescribed Form, and send a request Letter with the Supporting Documents to the University by “post or in person”. After that, the University will critically look into your application, verify your supporting documents and then may allow you to change your name !!!

Apart from the hassles, is it funny or draconian rule in such a prestigious institution !!?!!

Aamjunta – what do you say ?

“Married and my Husband has no other wife living”: Bigamy in India!

While browsing through the Placement Blog, I came across Coal India Limited’s Management Trainee Joining Form. It is a 26-page document with so many blanks to fill in declarations, personal details and professional details, etc. But, what surprised me is the declaration that the new employee has to sign at the time of joining:

• That I am married and have only one wife living.
• That I am married and my husband has no other wife living.

CIL MT Joining Declaration

I was wondering, how come the wife will declare that her husband has no more wives? Does that imply, that a female trainee can have more than one living husband? 🙂 Moreover, does she know every thing about her husband’s life and personal relationships? Why does the employer need to ask such kind of questions?, which has more to do with the personal life than the professional one. How does disclosure of marriage help in seeking better employees?

If this is the law of the land, that your husband should have only one living wife, then how come Chief Minister(s), Central and State Minister(s) have multiple living wives? Not only that, there are enough sitting MPs and MLAs, who have multiple living wives. Changing religion to have multiple wives is also seen these day. Even Celebrities and Film Stars too have multiple simultaneous relationships – legally and illegally. Is it a fashion meant only for people who can afford it?  Is it a necessity for power game? I am not going to write the huge list of people who have multiple (living) marriages here. This is because, I do not want to encroach some one’s private life and make that public. It is not a personal vendetta, rather an ideological battle.

There are couple of questions which came into my mind.

1. If it is considered as a part of law under IPC under Hindu Marriage Law to have only one living wife, then what prevents the state machinery to block them from power? Is it not a double standard?
2. How can people (netas/leaders) with multiple wives decide whether their followers will have one or more wives? I mean to say, that most of these people in power wield these laws meant for aamjunta, when they themselves break these laws.

Aamjunta, what do you think?

Note: I do not advocate the thought of Bigamy or polyandry.