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The Politics of Sologamy in India

  • Writer: Kritika Bhatia
    Kritika Bhatia
  • Feb 10
  • 4 min read

Updated: Feb 11

Sologamy, also known as Autogamy, is an act of self-marriage, where both the bride and the groom are the same person. Sologamy gained massive attention among the Indian masses after 2022 when a 24-year-old Gujarati bisexual woman named Kshama Bindu married herself and became the first Indian sologamist (The Indian Express, 2022). She claimed that it was an act of self-love and unconditional acceptance of herself. She followed all the Hindu customs and traditions in her marriage while according to The Hindu Marriage Act 1955, sologamy is not legal (Jain, 2022).


bride marrying herself in sologamy
Sologamy

Sologamists view the model of sologamy as an autonomous institutional solution against traditional marriages- which are designed to cater to men and patriarchy. It is widely argued that in traditional marriages women face unpaid labor, care work, gendered roles, and financial dependence. It has also been stated by Kaplan (2023), that married women who become housewives generally report self-neglect.


Many use the excerpts from ‘The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955’ against sologamy which states that the HMA uses the terminology ‘either of the spouse’, which simply means there must be two individuals to complete the marriage”. In the past few years, sologamy has made the Indian legal system re-examine the traditional norms and structure of marriages. Also, many legalities question the validity and legitimacy of sologamy as according to Indian law, marriage is a union between two people and the concept of sologamy defies it (Janka, 2024). Many legal systems are only workable in the traditional union of marriages— the tax system, inheritance, debt transfers etc. Many are also concerned about the increased burden on the family courts if the trend of sologamy rises.

Feminists often critique traditional marriage, making their perspectives on sologamy evident. To the women who are prone to bear oppression, sologamy brings freedom, self-ownership and self-authority. Sologamy is rooted in a radical feminist thought, as it ultimately aims to radically restructure the institution of marriage. Some feminists also suggest that sologamy is overshadowing the underlying customary disparities of many young women in marriages. The concern is about ignoring the systematic issues of caste, economic dependence and the societal pressure of arranged marriages. Although sologamy hasn’t sprung from any feminist movement, it still grabs the attention and interest of women. Practicing sologamy isn't feminism but can reflect the feminist approach and idea of an individual.

Did you know that the first “sologamy marriage” took place in 1993 when Linda Baker married herself (Chaudhary, 2022)? However, the concept of sologamy is often met with skepticism and criticism. Some argue that it is a bizarre and narcissistic trend rather than a meaningful commitment, while others question its necessity, given that self-love is intrinsic and does not require a ceremonial expression (Pandey, 2022). Critics also view it as an elite, urban phenomenon lacking a strong institutional basis, with some believing it is merely a way to escape societal or family responsibilities rather than a true assertion of independence. Sologamy faces socio-cultural and religious criticism, often mocked as attention-seeking, narcissistic, or a Western trend. Critics argue it disrupts traditional marriage norms and destabilizes its framework. Religious groups uphold marriage as a two-person union, rejecting self-marriage as incompatible with their beliefs on love, commitment, and societal structure.


In many other cultures, self-care is an important aspect of an individual’s lifestyle. For example, in Japan, the cultural significance of self-love and self-care is massive. Japanese are very particular about their self-care rituals and sologamy is much more accepted in the country (Sharma, 2024).


To incorporate sologamy, the first step would be the recognition of this marriage in legal terminology. This step would ensure the social and economic security of sologmists. However, the legal system in regards to marriage institutions will need extensive reform, for instance, the tons of work required to legitimise this institution of marriage, the legal set of rules and paradigms, and the curation of the inheritance, tax and debt transference guidelines. This will take a lot of time and effort.


In conclusion, Sologamy is an alien concept for a big chunk of the Indian population. Legal, socio-economic and cultural restructuring of the present framework is required to back sologamy as a valid institution of marriage. Sologamists, in India, are heavily criticised as they do not abide by the standard principles. Although sologamy is based upon the ethics of self-love, marrying oneself is still an absurd and irrational step with respect to societal norms in India. Sologamy cannot be easily acknowledged and incorporated into the Indian system, for that it will require foundational support and even legal battles.


Bibliography




  • Kaplan, V. (2023). Mental health states of housewives: an evaluation in terms of self-perception and codependency. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, [online] 21(1), pp.666-683. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00910-1 [Accessed 10 Feb. 2025].


  • Janka, D.G., 2024. Examination of the Place of Sologamy in the Legal System of Ethiopia. Jimma University Journal of law, [online] 16, pp.46-64. Available at: https://doi.org/10.46404/jlaw.v16i0.5635 [Accessed 10 Feb. 2025].






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