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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
India's envoy to Cuba ends up with two wives; Supreme Court steps in to find a way out
India's ambassador to Cuba, Thongkomang Armstrong Changsan, has landed himself in a tricky situation, he has two wives, each with a daughter, thanks to a mix of tribal customs and church marriage laws. The story began in 1994, when Changsan married Neikhol Changsan in a church under the Christian Marriage Act. Years later, he got a customary divorce from her through the Songpijan village elders in Assam's Dima Hasao district and married another woman. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category But in 2022, the Gauhati High Court ruled that such a church marriage could not be dissolved by village elders. Only a proper court of law could annul such a marriage. So, legally, his first marriage still stood, meaning he had ended up with two wives. When the matter reached the Supreme Court, a bench led by Justice Surya Kant clearly stated, 'We have absolutely no sympathy for the man.' The judges found the High Court's judgement sound and said Neikhol had suffered socially and mentally. She appeared in court herself and said she raised her daughter alone, with little help. She accused Changsan of manipulating their daughter, now 29 and working in Bengaluru, to distance her from her mother. Live Events Neikhol pleaded with the court to protect her dignity, describing how Changsan quietly ended their marriage through tribal means and remarried without her knowledge. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing Changsan, said he had always paid for his daughter's needs. But the court wasn't convinced. The bench noted that the daughter might play a key role in resolving the issue. They advised the ambassador to arrange for Neikhol to visit her daughter in Bengaluru, including flight tickets, a nearby stay, and an ad hoc payment of Rs 3 lakh. Interestingly, the Kuki Inpi of Assam, the top tribal authority, confirmed that a church marriage cannot be undone using tribal law and also stressed that no couple can be forced to reunite. The Supreme Court now wants to help Neikhol rebuild her life, asking her to think of what might bring peace going forward. Inputs from TOI
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First Post
8 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
A court order leaves India's Cuba envoy with two wives, Supreme Court hears case
In 2022, the Gauhati High Court ruled that a marriage under the Christian Marriage Act can't be dissolved by customary practices of the Kuki tribe. This decision created a complex matrimonial situation for Thongkomang Armstrong Changsan, India's ambassador to Cuba read more A view of Supreme Court of India building in New Delhi. PTI The Gauhati High Court in 2022 had ruled that a marriage conducted in a church under the Christian Marriage Act, 1872, between a man and a woman from the Kuki tribe cannot be dissolved by customary practices involving the Songpijan village committee or 'gaonburas (village elders)' in Assam's Dima Hasao district. The court stated that such a marriage can only be annulled through legal proceedings before the High Court or a district judge, as outlined in section 10 of the Divorce Act, 1869. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This decision created a complex matrimonial situation for Thongkomang Armstrong Changsan, India's ambassador to Cuba, who found himself with two wives. Before the 2022 High Court ruling affirming his 1994 church marriage to Neikhol Changsan, he had remarried another woman after a customary divorce, and he has a daughter from each marriage. Supreme Court's observation The Supreme Court, addressing Changsan's appeal, expressed no sympathy for him. After mediation attempts failed, a bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi noted on Friday (July 25) that the Gauhati High Court's judgment was legally robust. Recognising that the Indian Foreign Service officer has been married to his second wife for nearly 15 years, the court sought a resolution to this legal and matrimonial dilemma, aiming to help Neikhol rebuild her life. Arguments by first wife, IFS officer Neikhol, representing herself in court, claimed she single-handedly raised her 29-year-old daughter without her husband's involvement and accused Changsan of manipulatively estranging their daughter from her. She urged the Supreme Court to 'protect her honour and dignity,' describing how Changsan secretly dissolved their marriage through tribal elders before remarrying. In response, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing the ambassador, stated that he has been covering their daughter's expenses, who is now pursuing a career in Bengaluru. Changsan also noted he has provided Neikhol with a house in Delhi and pays her Rs 20,000 monthly maintenance. The Supreme Court bench remarked, 'We have absolutely no sympathy for the man. The HC judgment is in your favour, and you have suffered socially and mentally. But can you think of a way to start life afresh?' To facilitate a potential resolution, the court suggested Neikhol meet her daughter in Bengaluru to discuss future steps. It directed Changsan to arrange her flight tickets, provide accommodation near her daughter's residence, and pay an ad hoc sum of Rs 3 lakh to support the visit. Justice Kant emphasised, 'If at all there is a possibility of settlement, the daughter could have a significant role to play,' urging the ambassador to encourage his daughter to reconnect with her mother. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Kuki Inpi, the highest governing body of the Kuki tribe in Assam, clarified that Kuki customary law cannot dissolve a church-conducted Christian marriage or force a couple to reunite against their wishes, aligning with the High Court's stance.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
India's ambassador to Cuba ends up with 2 wives, SC seeks solution
NEW DELHI: Can a marriage solemnised between a man and a woman belonging to the Kuki tribe in a church be dissolved by the Songpijan village committee and 'gaonburas (village elders)' in Assam's Dima Hasao district on proceedings initiated by the husband relying on customary law? The Gauhati HC had said once a marriage takes place in a church in terms with the Christian Marriage Act, 1872, it cannot be annulled by customary law practices involving village elders. Such a marriage can only be dissolved through proceedings initiated before the HC or the district judge as per section 10 of the Divorce Act, 1869, it had said. This HC ruling landed the Indian ambassador to Cuba, Thongkomang Armstrong Changsan, in a piquant matrimonial situation as he ended up with two wives. Prior to the HC declaring in 2022 that his 1994 church marriage with Neikhol Changsan subsisted, he had married another woman after the customary divorce. From both marriages, he has a daughter each. SC says it has no sympathy for Cuba envoy After failure of the mediation ordered by the Supreme Court, during pendency of Changsan's appeal, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi on Friday orally observed that the HC judgment is legally sound. Finding that the Indian Foreign Service officer is now married for nearly a decade and half, it decided to find a solution to this legal-matrimonial complexity and help the first wife start a new life. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The ambassador said he has been paying a monthly maintenance of Rs 20,000 to Neikhol and has given her a house in Delhi. Neikhol argued the case herself and told the court that she had single handedly brought up her daughter without any participation from her husband. He manipulatively estranged her from daughter, says 1st wife Neikhol, the first wife, alleged that he has now manipulatively estranged her daughter (29) from her. For the ambassador, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy said the father had been meeting the expenses of his daughter, who is pursuing a career in Bengaluru. Neikhol appealed to SC to "protect her honour and dignity" while describing how surreptitiously Changsan dissolved the marriage using tribal community elders, and remarried. The Justice Kant-led bench said, "We have absolutely no sympathy for the man. The HC judgment is in your favour, and you have suffered socially and mentally. But can you think of a way to start life afresh?" Interestingly, 'Kuki Inpi' of Assam, the highest governing body of the Kuki tribe in the state, has said Kuki customary law can neither dissolve a Christian marriage performed in church nor can it force any couple to reunite against the will of the couple. SC said it could be profitable for Neikhol to meet her daughter and discuss future course of action, and asked the ambassador to arrange for her flight tickets to Bengaluru, a place of stay near her daughter's place, and pay her an ad hoc amount of Rs 3 lakh to enable her to meet her daughter. "If at all there is a possibility of settlement, the daughter could have a significant role to play," Justice Kant said, adding that the IFS officer must advise his daughter to re-establish contact with her mother.
