'We're meeting at Shimla, not to draw a gender dividing line. We want to discuss a social issue and find solutions as the country is seeing a large number of divorcees,' said Virag Dhulia, a senior member of SIFF.

'We'll also demand pre-litigation counselling before grant of divorce, an end to police brutalities and judicial reforms to help address the social issues.'

According to data available with SIFF and CRISP, on an average 20-25 cases of divorce are filed every day in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

A total of 9,000 divorce cases were filed in Delhi, 7,500 in Mumbai and 5,000 cases in Bangalore in 2008.

The figures were collected from family courts in the three Indian metros.

If harassed husbands are blaming their wives for failed marriages, women rights activists have a different take on rise in divorce rates across India.

'There are reasons galore for the rise in divorce cases. Urbanisation and increasing violence against women and financial stability of both husband and wife, to name a few,' Dona Fernandes, a member of women rights' group Vimochana, told IANS.

'Today's empowered women are refusing to follow the traditional diktats of Indian marriages. Marriage is the biggest form of displacement for any woman as she has to shift from her home (natural habitat) to her husband's home.

'It is the wife who is supposed to adjust. But today's financially strong women are not ready to take undue pressure on their individual existence and thus marital discords are bound to increase,' said Fernandes.

(Maitreyee Boruah can be contacted at m.boruah@ians.in)