Mary, this rule is not clear. When this was legalized, it was probably to make the position of the second wife secure.As many young women are left insecure after the death of men whom they don't marry but beget kids.Some men don't manage to divorce their first wives. They exist. But they live with another woman all their lives and still are not able to leave much for her because at the appropriate time, the fist woman comes and claims all the goodies. So this makes the second woman access some financial sustenance after his demise.All these years, the second woman was made illegal and adulterous in a bid to keep men "chaste". But it never happened. Men still took a second woman. This news is good news for women like Hema malini, Sridevi , South Indian Actress Shobana who are illegal.Now they are legal.
About women taking a second man despite having the first husband in legal status...well...Mary... the law should work both ways. I don't think men would like it. But modern women are game and if a man has a legal live-in. , she would have a live -in too, just to stop him from having any. She would get the benefit from both men, as a "wife" right?Then it is bad time for men}}}}Anyway, either way it is all adulterous and very bad, both culturally and morally/

Answered by Vida Writer , an ibibo Master, at 9:40 PM on October 17, 2008

Mary, this rule is not clear. When this was legalized, it was probably to make the position of the second wife secure.As many young women are left insecure after the death of men whom they don't marry but beget kids.Some men don't manage to divorce their first wives. They exist. But they live with another woman all their lives and still are not able to leave much for her because at the appropriate time, the fist woman comes and claims all the goodies. So this makes the second woman access some financial sustenance after his demise.All these years, the second woman was made illegal and adulterous in a bid to keep men "chaste". But it never happened. Men still took a second woman. This news is good news for women like Hema malini, Sridevi , South Indian Actress Shobana who are illegal.Now they are legal.
About women taking a second man despite having the first husband in legal status...well...Mary... the law should work both ways. I don't think men would like it. But modern women are game and if a man has a legal live-in. , she would have a live -in too, just to stop him from having any. She would get the benefit from both men, as a "wife" right?Then it is bad time for men}}}}Anyway, either way it is all adulterous and very bad, both culturally and morally/

Answered by Vida Writer , an ibibo Master, at 9:40 PM on October 17, 2008