MYTH “As Muslims are allowed to have 4 wives they invariably have more children”
FACT This statement is false because :
*Polygamy exists among both Hindus and Muslims. It is legally sanctioned among Muslims to marry four wives. Among Hindus and other communities though it is illegal there is virtual social sanction for such marriages. The question however is: how many men actually marry four times? According to the Government census of 1961 its survey of polygamous marriages the findings were as follows:
- polygamous marriages were highest among adivasis, Buddhists, Jains, and Hindus, in that order. Muslims figured last on the list. * The National Survey Commission on the Status of Women in India (1975) found that incidence of bigamy and polygamy is higher among Hindus than Muslims.
Year Polygamous Hindu families Polygamous Muslim families
1931-41 6.79% 7.29%
1941-51 7.15% (0.09% more than Muslims) 7.06%
1951-61 5.06% (0.65% more than Muslims) 4.31%