“Innocent divorcé” is a strange but common term in Indian matrimonial ads. This speaks to the continuing stigma against divorce and divorcés in our country. It could also be a coy reference to virginity (something else that many families place a huge premium on) or to an unconsummated marriage. And just to be clear, ‘issueless’ doesn’t mean that this person has no problems in life; it merely means the person has no encumbrances in the form of any inconvenient offspring from the previous relationship.
Ads seeking suitable brides can be very regressive – the women have to not only be fair, slim, good looking but also docile homemakers who will do the bidding of her in laws. Many women however have no patience with such demands. In fact they have demands of their own: no mama’s boys, men who share child rearing responsibilities, no restrictions regarding career or clothing choices and so on.
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