No, this is no leaf out of the past, just another day in the marital court of Gigabhai Koli on the island of Shiyal Bet. The law of the land ceases to matter where the sea begins; customs and traditions are thus paramount and unchallenged in this little island off the Rajula coast in the Amreli district of Gujarat.

Located just half-a-km away from the state-of-the-art Pipavav port, the Koli-dominated society of Shiyal Bet will carry casual marriages and live-in relationships into the 21st century, along with its oil lamps and primitive modes of communication.

For the Kolis, a community of fishermen, whosenumber swells from 1,000 to 8,000 with the monsoons, the word of the patel, Gigabhai, is law, especially when marital affairs threaten to turn sour. Shravan, when all fishing activity comes to stand-still in deference to the monsoons, is an especially busy time for him, with man-and-wife ties making and breaking almost faster than the waves that lash the shores of the island.

Soon after July begins, the fishermen start coming back home, sometimes after spending as long as six months at sea. The one-point reference is Gigabhai, but there is little debate or discussion involved in ending one unhappy liaison and beginning another, hopefully happier one. ``The children usually remain with the father; if necessary, the patel can give custody to the mother'', an elderly Koli man informs The Indian Express.

But isn't the practice unfair on the women? The Kolis don't agree. ``This is our custom. Besides, both sides benefit from it -- after all, if a woman is unhappy with her husband, she can also approachthe patel'', says Nanjibhai Naga.

With conversations with Koli women strictly prohibited, there is little option to buying the male side of the story. But sources say that while a Koli woman is held in high esteem, it is the esteem accorded to a valuable commodity central to community life. ``If a youth is separating from his wife, has to pay enough to take care of her expenses till she finds another match'', explains Khodabhai. ``The amount can be anything between Rs 500 and Rs 1,500, depending on his catch that season.''

Incidentally, in another practice distinguishing them from most other communities, Koli youths are expected to hand over a sum of money to their bride's parents before the wedding. The amounts turned over has gone up considerably with the transition from row boats and dinghies to motor boats, say clansmen. A 9 sq km projection of a sea mountain, Shiyal Bet was recently in news following the recovery of centuries-old statues of Mahavir idols. Though technically a part of the Jafrabadtaluka of Amreli, no government official has ever visited the island.

The Koli system of relationships is under threat from civilisation. Says an official, ``With the advent of motor-boats, fishermen prefer to take their women to fishing shelters at ports like Jafrabad. Youths who have experienced life away from the island are increasingly reluctant to move from woman to woman and are opting for a more settled life.''