“Reactions” are subjective and generalizing them to the larger public on the basis of what one sees around oneself might not be the wisest way to answer this question. So, let us discuss this within the framework of the law. As of 2024, rape of a woman by her husband, also known as “marital rape,” is not criminalized in India. While this does not sit well with a chunk of the society, the selective prosecution by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rape does reflect the society’s perspective on the issue.

In India, where a woman never truly belongs to an idea of “home,” remains devoid of identity. They are wedded off and are expected to make a home of wherever they land. They are expected to resign to the whims and wishes of their husbands and in-laws. When such ideology prevails, marital rape is hardly a concern because the husbands are entitled to their wives and their bodies. Consent is out of the picture and the wives are supposed to be ever ready.

With such views in place, the society is bound to find rape within a marriage peculiar. With ongoing debates and discussions, refreshing contrasting opinions are coming to the surface and we can only hope for them to create a ripple effect that reaches the law.