Roka is a Social Evil that Needs to be Condemned: Delhi HC
tyle="text-align:justify">
New Delhi, The Delhi High Court, in a recent hearing against a decree for divorce held that ‘roka’ which a traditional pre-marital ceremony is a "social evil that needs to be condemned".
Roka, a ceremony observed by the Punjabis, involves the exchange of gifts presented by the bride’s family to the groom’s family. The practice generally doesn’t involve the bride’s presence and is considered a sort of engagement which gives the couple authority to openly court.
“Its existence take backs approximately 25 years. The couple is treated as a kind of chattel. Its significance is that on account of money given by the family of the female to the male, it is conveyed to the society that neither would henceforth scout for a life partner – the search for a life partner is stopped. It is a social evil that needs to be condemned. It entails useless expenditure and, in many cases, becomes the source of future bickering,” the bench observed.
The court also called it the cause of matrimonial disputes as most of the allegations between parties commence from the day of the Roka.
