Live-in is one of those beautiful dance steps of language, where the original “living in sin” (as opposed to living in holy matrimony), has been truncated to detach sin from living. Enter right, the Uttarakhand government’s new Uniform Civil Code. As per this new law, those living together “like in marriage” must register their relationship and get parental consent. Failure to register could lead to arrest and a fine. The state can act against you on suspicion, or even complaint from a neighbour. Living in sin, has been recrafted for modern times, as living in crime or at least, being made to feel like it. 

The media has aided the mindset that live-in relationships must be governed, by turning horrific crimes like the murder of Shraddha Walkar into moral commentary on live-in relationships, instead of violence. While claiming to be about “protection”, this moral commentary is not about protecting freedom from violence. Rather, it is about blaming freedom for violence and creating an opportunity to increase scrutiny and control of individuals.