We may never truly know who discovered the concept of marriage, perhaps it began as nothing more than children’s play. In India, several tribal groups follow relationship systems that differ greatly from traditional marriage. These tribes allow open matchmaking and cohabitation for as long as partners wish, without the pressure to stay together if they don’t want to. Unlike formal marriage, there’s no compulsion, no lifelong contract.
In societies where economic interests don’t dominate, the marriage system often holds little relevance. Yet, today, every aspect of life, from birth to death, has evolved into a commercial enterprise. Marriage is no exception. While it may appear to be a natural societal process, in reality, it’s a deeply constructed institution shaped by commerce and societal pressure. It’s in our very genes now: birth is expensive, death is costly, and marriage has become a grand business.
Just fifty years ago, men and women lived together in mutual understanding, a give and take system of respect and harmony. There was a rhythm to co-existence. In India, the Special Marriage Act was implemented only in 1952, which means formal marriage registration didn’t even exist at the time of independence. Many elders today still don’t possess a marriage certificate. It’s important to remember, we were once tribal, living naturally, choosing our partners freely, fulfilling our emotional and physical desires without societal contracts.
Human beings are, by nature, polygamous. It took at least three decades for the concept of institutional marriage to be embedded into our minds. In the process, the freedom to be oneself was lost. From childhood, we are taught about the supposed goodness and security of marriage, but often, what follows is failure and lifelong emotional suffering.
Many endure the silent agony of a failed marriage. Countless people marry because “everyone else is doing it,” or simply because their parents told them to. If someone argues that love is the foundation of marriage, they must also realize: love alone is not enough. Love is more than sufficient for two people to be together, to share emotions, and live joyfully, but the moment conditions and expectations creep in, everything changes.
As I often say:
“Love is unconditional; anything conditional isn’t love, and marriage is a condition.”
In 2025, many people in their 30s and 40s, who got married in the 90s and 2000s, are staying together solely for their children, for financial convenience, or out of fear of societal judgment. The sad truth is, what women perceive as insecurity in marriage is actually fear, the fear of abandonment, the fear of being judged by society.
But I am genuinely heartened to see today’s younger generation, especially women, thinking differently. A recent survey predicted that by the end of 2030, a significant number of women between 22 and 40 will remain unmarried and childless. That made me feel hopeful. Choosing not to marry, or being in fulfilling relationships outside the framework of marriage, is a powerful and valid decision, one that prioritizes mental peace and self-worth. And if someone chooses to live child-free, I completely support that too.
What’s the point of bringing a child into a chaotic home and a polluted world?
Though I believe marriage is impractical, I sincerely wish for people to be in healthy relationships, friendships rooted in compassion, partnerships built on mutual care. As humans, we crave both food and emotional connection. Your body and mind deserve what they need, when they need it. Denying yourself those needs doesn’t earn you any badge of honor.
Unfortunately, today, one of the biggest threats to human relationships, including marriage, is the invasion of technology in our personal lives. People grow distant, fall into depression, and experience deep loneliness while scrolling and swiping on their screens. This digital addiction is a silent killer of intimacy. People argue more frequently, often over trivial things. Work stress, especially in tech-based environments, the pressure to present a “perfect” life on social media, a lack of meaningful communication, and controlling behavior, all stem from this technological overload.
In 2013, the Rajya Sabha passed a bill requiring all marriages to be legally registered, indicating that even in the 2000s, the marriage system wasn’t fully solidified. This shows how marriage, more than a personal decision, has been institutionalized to serve commercial and societal interests.
Today, the saddest irony is this: many so-called husbands and wives are each other’s biggest enemies. Love often dies the moment it is bound by the rules of marriage. Shockingly, a significant number of crimes and murders happen between partners. What happened to the love that was once there?
If we start seeing love and relationships as unconditional, we can begin to live lives of true quality. Divorce has become increasingly common in India, we may even surpass the US in divorce rates soon. The average shelf life of a marriage today? Between 2 weeks and 2 years. Even packaged food often lasts longer.
In the past, many people suffered silently in unhappy marriages, afraid to divorce because of societal backlash. When people ask me, “But aren’t there many successful marriages?” I often say, most are just pretending. Social image has become more important than emotional well-being. Separation brings issues like alimony, custody battles, and legal entanglements, so many prefer to suffer silently than to face society’s wrath.
And that, tragically, is the end of the story.
I hope after a few years our society will also think like this. Yes, marriage is now a business, it is necessary to understand the real meaning of marriage. With this article I hope people will change their perspective.
Your write-up is bold, thoughtful, and emotionally resonant. It presents a compelling critique of marriage as a social institution, examining its evolution from natural companionship to a commercialized, sometimes oppressive system. Here’s a balanced and insightful opinion you can use to conclude or introduce this subject — depending on your purpose:
We cannot deny that many marriages still provide emotional security, shared purpose, and lifelong companionship. But we must also acknowledge that forcing every individual into a single, outdated template is not only unfair, it’s unrealistic. Human needs evolve, and so should our understanding of relationships.
Rather than glorifying or vilifying marriage, we should focus on human values — respect, freedom, emotional intimacy, and mutual care — whether they are found within or outside traditional frameworks. The real question isn’t whether one should marry or not, but whether one is truly free to choose, without guilt, fear, or compulsion.
In the end, the success of any relationship lies not in its label, but in its authenticity. If love is genuine, it doesn’t need conditions to survive. And if a relationship is driven only by duty or pressure, it’s a prison, not a partnership.
While I agree with the fact that formal marriages are recent scenario, what will happen if this system is not there? Just a thought.
When one system collapse, other will emerge, That’s it. The rule of nature. whether we accept it or not.
Indeed but I think there are people of two different mindsets. One type of people find it as burden while other set of people do belive onnthis constitution. But as I mentioning the article, the situation is worrisome
As a girl in her late twenties, this blog resonate with me a lot. This made me realize that, my thoughts were not weird. It does make sense. Marriage is in a slow threat of deterioration, as an institution. Things turn around when you impose social tags and norms upon a relationship in most cases. There are surely exceptions and everybody wishes to be in that chunk. A marriage made under the pressure of missing out, or society is meant to break later. Wholesome and real connections happen, not made.
It’s true that only because someone is married means they are in a good relationship. It’s important to have someone in our life, in who we can rely on. A real relationship means partners are there for each other when needed and each have mutual respect and trust and love most importantly. Marriages shouldn’t be for a name sake or should not be considered as a part of business.
As far as India is concerned, unless a thought contributes meaningfully to population control, it may not hold long-term value or relevance in the broader societal context. Therefore, adopting a method to control population should be our first priority. There are 15 lakh schools in India, placing it in the number one position globally. It is the pressure of life circumstances caused by overpopulation that drives the younger generation towards such thoughts. Anyway, in my opinion, marriage is a good way to keep intelligent yet foolish human beings under a certain level of control, otherwise, everything would have collapsed into chaos long ago. Keep writing man.