A prominent spiritual leader recently used his platform to condemn live-in relationships — questioning their morality and targeting women who choose them.
00:00That is Aniruddhicharya, a spiritual guru to millions, using his sermon to shame live-in relationships on stage.
00:13But is there something wrong with being in a live-in relationship? Let's break it down.
00:18Live-ins are no longer a fringe idea. In cities across India, more and more couples, especially young women, are choosing to live-in with their partners before they get married.
00:27And they're not doing it because they don't believe in love or family or commitment. They're doing it because they want choice, autonomy, compatibility, safety.
00:35A 2023 YouGov India survey found that over 50% of urban young Indians support live-ins as a legitimate life choice.
00:44Why? Because for many, a live-in relationship means freedom from societal pressure, family interference and rigid gender roles often baked into marriage.
00:53And legally, there's no grey area here.
00:55Back in 1978, in Badri Prasad v. Deputy Director of Consolidation, the Supreme Court held that two consenting adults living together is not a crime and may even be presumed as a lawful union if they cohabit for a long time.
01:08Since then, the court has only reinforced that stance. Live-in relationships fall under Article 21.
01:13The right to life and personal liberty states that two adults living together by choice is not just legal, it's a constitutional right.
01:21And if a woman faces abuse in a live-in setup, she's protected under the protection of women from Domestic Violence Act 2005, just like a woman in a marriage would be.
01:30And maybe that's why, after days of backlash, Anurudh Dicharya apologised.
01:35He apologised not because he suddenly changed his views, but because India did.
01:52I'm Manish Adhikari. Thank you for watching The Culture Project or more.
