It is the life and experience of Zaaria Patni, a Mumbai-based woman whose bravery caused the modification of venerable government regulations. Earlier, the father’s signature was essential for the approval of a child’s passport. But Zaaria’s bravery and dedication led to a change in the law.
She had a very colourful life before her marriage. She observes she had a very normal childhood, with caring parents, and siblings. They had a great set of family and friends. They lived a very sheltered life, away from the evils of this world. Her decision to marry a man of her choice at that age marks her flaw in life. She had to suffer a lot of physical abuse and she was not in a situation able to understand whether it was abuse or love.
The act of being married is how two individuals formally, permanently, and openly declare their relationship. It is the union of two individuals in a connection that, in theory, lasts until death but is frequently cut short by divorce or separation in reality. Marriage breakdowns are usually often distressing events, at the very least accompanied by disappointment and a dash of hopes and desires. but in some cases it is inevitable.
The Struggles and Pain
Zaaria discovered that her husband was an abusive and insecure man who desired to have control over her life. He attacked her and threatened her. He even started making decisions for her in terms of her food, clothing, and friends. She said “It started on the honeymoon, where I wasn’t allowed to look anywhere but towards him, wasn’t allowed to enter shops which he didn’t like and was supposed to wear only what he wanted me to. We were to visit our relatives in London, so he asked me to wear a salwar but no jacket…and I remember freezing.”
She settled in Dubai and became pregnant. However, the abuse persisted, necessitating her medical admission. The nurse informed her that Zaaria’s life could have been forfeited with even a one-day delay. When Zaaria was discharged from the hospital, she returned to Mumbai. She informed her parents of her plight after arriving home, and they asked her not to return to Dubai. She started the formal separation process shortly after.
Bold and Independent Woman
For her, the following six years were of misery. In an attempt to gain custody of her pregnant child, he gave her legal notice, but she was determined not to comply. She went to the family court to fight for her kid thirty days after giving birth. To make the lawsuit last longer, her husband bought off judges and court personnel. She said” God knows how much longer I would have to continue my fight. In 2012, my hell was finally over. I won all cases because of that one hospital slip and received nothing in compensation from him or his family”. She used to accompany her son to court trials when she was a young mother.
New Life and the Legal Battle
Zaaria began assisting her family business in 2012 after divorcing her husband. She also gave in to her passion for photography and quickly began doing commercial work for well-known companies. When Zaaria realised she required her ex-husband to approve her son’s passport, she faced a significant challenge. Despite several attempts, her application was turned down, and despite numerous trips to the passport office, nothing had changed.
She tweeted the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and created a petition on Change.org that was signed by 96,000 individuals. This forced the government to acknowledge its inconsistency with the Supreme Court’s rules, which unambiguously define a single mother as a child’s legal guardian.
The successful Single Parent
Change of Law
The online passport form now only needs the name and signature of one of the two parents, making it simpler for single parents to apply for passports as a result of her tenacious efforts and strong will. Despite encountering many hardships in life, Zaaria triumphed, overcoming every challenge that she faced. She sparked a wave, changed the outdated legal structure, and demonstrated that if we fought tenaciously for what was right, everything would turn out as we had hoped.
She was surprised to read her complaint turned to the document of passport verification of single parents. Many single parents and children who suffered this crisis supported her and through this attempt they all got justice.
Lessons from her life
She advises the girls of this generation that education is the most important factor in life. Never assume that you will be taken care of once you are married. Break all those toxic relations and be independent. In her opinion marriage is not regarded as a holy institution in the society in which we live. We need to be wise in making crucial decisions in life.
Credits and Reference:
https://yourstory.com/2018/01/zaaria-patni-challenged-indian-law/amp