Polygamy is defined as the practice or custom of having more than one wife at the same time. This is illegal in India except for Muslim men.

Muslim men in India can take up to 4 wives ( except in Uttarakhand, Goa, and Gujarat, where the Uniform Civil Code is implemented). Obviously, if a Muslim woman wishes to do so, it would be a criminal offense punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment and a fine.

   
Isn’t this shocking? In 2026, with Nari Shakti everywhere, one would assume that in the world’s largest democracy such arbitrary laws would not exist, BUT NOO.

If you aren’t still convinced that polygamy still exists, search up Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937.

Studies done by Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), a prominent Indian Muslim women's rights organization, have consistently held that polygamy is unconstitutional and arbitrary. For instance, in a study covering 2,500 Sunni Muslim women across seven states, 85% of respondents called for the abolition of polygamy. Moreover, 88% of the surveyed women said their husbands did not seek their consent before marrying a second time. This clearly debunks any myth that Muslim women do not object to polygamy.

The studies also found that polygamy causes women severe psychological trauma, emotional abuse, and loss of dignity. The petition states that:

“It is a declaration that Indian Muslim women deserve the same legal protections as every other woman in this country. It is a call rooted in constitutional morality, women’s rights, and the ethical principles of justice and equality. We stand in solidarity with the thousands of Muslim women whose voices the BMMA 2025 report amplifies. Their experiences demand action — not delay, not excuses.”

Also,

“Muslim women must not be left with fewer rights or weaker protections. Articles 14, 15 and 21 guarantee equality, dignity, and personal liberty. No personal law can override these fundamental rights.”

On another note, BR Ambedkar was right: we did enter a life of contradictions. Polygamy is allowed, but polyandry is illegal. The world's longest constitution sanctions this partisan law.

Some may say that this practice of polygamy is a Muslim man’s right to profess his religion. This is clearly a case of religious freedom vs. women’s rights. But professing a religion cannot harm others. That is a legal mandate. I would go so far as to say that polygamy is against Article 13, which states that any law inconsistent with or in derogation of the fundamental rights shall be void.

What I am trying to say is that a religious practice cannot be so one-sided, so discriminatory, so partisan that it harms women mentally, socially, and economically. This is a human rights crisis where the basic rights of Muslim women are being snatched away.

All are equal ( apparently) before the law. But that is clearly not the case. Just like we, Bharat, came together and banned untouchability, we can try to abolish this arbitrary practice, which harms millions of Muslim women in India.