Previous Year Question
With reference to the Age of Consent Act, 1891 consider the following statements:
It was Behramji Malabari, a Parsi reformer from Bombay, who advocated for this legislation.
The Act was supported by the extremist wing led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Only 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Only 1
Both 1 and 2
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. The Parsi social reformer and journalist Behramji Malabari conducted an extensive campaign against infant marriage and the condition of young widows. In 1884, he published Notes on Infant Marriage and Enforced Widowhood and attempted to bring these problems to the centre of governmental and public debate.
Malabari persistently advocated legal reform for the protection of very young girls within marriage. His campaign played an important role in creating social and political pressure for legislative change concerning the age of consent.
The Age of Consent Act of 1891 did not itself make child marriage illegal. It amended the Indian Penal Code by raising the age of consent for sexual intercourse for girls from 10 to 12 years; the provision applied to both married and unmarried girls.
Statement 2 is incorrect. Bal Gangadhar Tilak did not support the Bill; he opposed it. His principal argument was that a foreign colonial government should not legislate in matters involving the religious and social customs of Indian society.
It should also be noted that in 1891 the later well-known Moderate–Extremist division within the Congress had not yet formally developed. Therefore, the claim that an “extremist wing led by Tilak supported” the Act is historically problematic on an additional ground.