Editor,
Polygamy in India is largely prohibited under most personal laws, particularly for Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists, who are governed by the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, which explicitly bans bigamy.
However, there are exceptions and variations based on religious and tribal practices. For example, Muslim men are permitted to have up to four wives under the Sharia law, and certain tribal communities also practice polygamy. The Hindu society obliterated the practice of polygamy because they considered it a stumbling block to social advancement.
Prohibition that applied to Hindu society in the context of polygamy that considers offensc: Special Marriage Act, 1954; Hindu Marriage Act, 1955; BNS Section 82.
Perhaps, Muslim personal laws based on Sharia allow men to have up to four wives. Still some section of the Muslim society practices it and some section partially discourages polygyny in Muslim society as the educated youths consider it social evil.
The practice of polygamy is declining across India and it is more prevalent in certain region and some communities. As per the data from National Family health Survey (NFHS), polygamy is not restricted to any one religion.
What to focus on here is, scheduled tribes show the highest incidence of polygamy, with 24% percent reporting having multiple spouses.
The Bharataya Janata Party ahead, of the 18th Lok Sabha, released its manifesto on 14 April, 2024, where the biggest ruling party pledged to implement a uniform civil code (UCC).
The UCC, outlined in Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, aims to provide a single set of laws for all citizens across India, regardless of their religion, for matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. This article falls under the directive principles of state policy.
In Arunachal Pradesh, polygamy, especially polygyny, has been practiced since time immemorial. Even today, polygamy is majorly practiced by men who are rich, powerful and influential. More or less the factors that led to polygamy applies the same as mentioned above – men practice polygamy when they find that the wife is infertile to give birth to children, especially men, without having a proper medical check-up and begin to blame wife and ties knots with another wife to portray to the society that the man is rich powerful and influential, and to retain status, as it is deduced that having multiple wives is a sign of riches and prestige.
Political factor also applies here, as politicians prefer to establish matrimonial relations with women of different clans and regions to gain vote during election. As in Arunachal, blood relation plays significant roles; kith- kin politics is of high voltage politics, because people in Arunachal Pradesh are mostly rooted to blood relation and money matters less.
Another interesting reason that led to polygamy is forceful child marriage. Some of those who practiced polygyny said that the first wife was forcibly made to marry due to parental pressure as the traditional practices of exchange (barter) in respect of marriage was already transacted. When man realizes that the present wife is not the one he loves, he moves to tie the knot with the one he loves now.
The topic of polygamy has been a matter of high debate and discussion, as it entwines with encouragement and discouragement. Some claim that the polygamy (polygyny) is a traditional practice which is a badge of identification of the Arunachal tribes who consider themselves as descendents of Abo Tani (believed to be the first man on Earth among the Tani tribes). And it is believed that Abo Tani had multiple wives.
In the current status with regard to polygamy, majority of people discourage polygamy and term it a social evil. Studies suggest that polygyny has been responsible for fragmenting the happiness and contentment within the family. The outcomes of polygamy mostly ended in jealousy, unhappiness, and loneliness due to injustice. In a family in which polygamy is practiced, mostly children become the victim and reel under frustration and depression. Children are seen mentally disturbed and inculcate negative thoughts such as jealousy and discontentment. The female children whose father has multiple wives lose hope of having a husband who will stay with a single wife. Such thoughts diminish their hope and they prefer to remain unmarried sometime, as they can’t effort to re-experience the same pressure they had experienced.
Ninong Ering, MLA and the then member of parliament made a move to discourage polygamy practice in Arunachal by proposing the Arunachal Pradesh Monogamy Election Eligibility Bill, 2023. The purpose of the bill was to amend the existing electoral laws in Arunachal to allow only candidates having one spouse to contest election and hold public office within the state.
The bill aimed to promote monogamy, strengthen family values and ensure transparency and accountability in the political sphere. It aimed to uphold the principle of integrity and commitment to single marital relationship.
The bill didn’t get much attention from the legislators as many of the legislators have engaged in polygyny; it wasn’t surprising to see that the women legislators were dormant. In Arunachal, one will also witness that even religious leaders practice polygamy.
While espousing to the bill, the Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) appealed to the chief minister to support the bill. Till date, there has been no discussion and debate over the proposed private member’s bill.
Arunachal is a state where the IAS officers seemingly have no control on their tongues and degrade women’s values and later seek apology. Even the minister supports polygamy audaciously. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Shrama in July 2023 made a public announcement that the Assam government would introduce a bill to ban polygamy in Assam to support the UCC. The USA court also pronounced that practice of polygamy is injurious to ”public morals,” even though some religions may make it obligatory or desirable for its followers.
Arunachal is witnessing a heavy wave to uproot the practice of polygamy as the majority discourages polygamy, while some section of society still lionize polygamists in the state.
In Arunachal, community-based welfare societies play an impactful and significant role in transforming the society by discouraging polygamy. The Tagin Cultural Society (TCS) in the year 2021, the during 5th TCS conference adopted a resolution to bar individuals committing polygamy from holding the post of president and feneral secretary.
A similar official order was issued by the Galo Welfare Society (GWS) on 24 May, 2025, barring polygamists from holding key posts in the GWS. The GWS is a society where elite members of Galo community assembles together and discuss on social development.
If such steps are adopted by other communities in Arunachal, it will certainly help in reforming the society – a society where women are treated equally and not considered as commodities.
Jumge Pale,
Managing Director,
Arunachal Informer