Why are the divorce rates rising?

India has primarily been a land of long-lived marriages which is why this sudden outburst of divorces has created a havoc in the society and has led to the need of identifying the causes for this change in the mindset of the current generation. 

Most of us would account it to the influence of the west. But I would disagree as I have seen many Indian marriages in the west that are far more successful and long lasting than the ones in India. 

Some say it's because of the change in upbringing. Surprisingly people believe that since now most women have become independent, they are unwilling to fulfill their family responsibilities and are unable to adjust in the new family which is the primary reason for high rates of divorce. However, I feel pity for those who have such a small mindset. 

Women have always been greatest multi-taskers and can easily handle their work as well as family responsibilities with ease. All they need is love and support of their family members and they are good to go. The question here is are the families willing to offer that support to them or not? If not, then women are not the only ones to be blamed. If a husband is doing the household chores in the absence of his partner, he is not helping her in any way, he is just fulfilling his responsibility of being an equal partner in a relationship that belongs to two people. It's high time couples and their families understand that matrimony is a partnership where responsibilities must be shared and not defined as gender specific roles. 

Others attribute high divorce rates to intolerance to which I completely agree. Marriage is all about love and respect so there should be intolerance towards physical or verbal abuse, infidelity and exploitation of any kind. If the reasons for divorce are any of these then it is completely justified and calls for a quick action. Going the legal way would be the best in such scenarios.  

Now coming to what I feel could be the main cause of high divorce rates. I honestly feel that the age at which one is getting married plays a major role in making marriage a successful or an unsuccessful one. Not that I believe in early marriages but getting married at the right age is very important. If one is too young then they are not ready to take up the responsibilities that come along with marriage. They might just be overwhelmed with the societal and family pressure and end up either in depression or separation. 

Also, if one remains single for a very long time say till their late 30's or early 40's, then they have already adapted to a particular lifestyle and might find it challenging to cope with even the smallest adjustment required in a married life. Both the partners would find it difficult to accept the lifestyle of the other as after a certain age you get used to your comfort zone. Hence, the tussles and the end result is again divorce.

So, I believe that getting married at the right age, say between 23 - 29 years is the most important factor for a successful marriage. This is because at that age there's a certain level of maturity as well as scope to explore life with each other, hope to develop mutual understanding and respect and accept each other the way they are. At that age one is even open to changes as habits are still forming. Acceptance, understanding, trust and love are the pillars of a great marriage. These are difficult to achieve if one is very young or has crossed a certain age after which it becomes almost impossible to adapt to new habits. 

So, my advice to the coming generations would be to find the right partner at the right age and grow together and nurture a beautiful relationship because marriage is beautiful and must be cherished as a life long commitment.