This
time around my blog is about socially important information. The media is full
of expressions like Love Jehad, Conversions on the name of Marriage, etc. I am not here to either support or deny those arguments. It is
for experts with data to battle it out, either way.
Reading the above statement, my readers would think, what am
I up to?
As you read this blog, things will be more clear to you. Read
on.
Preamble
When a boy and a Girl fall in love and decide to marry (or
decide to marry for any other reason), if they follow the same religion, there
is hardly any issue. If both of them are from different religions but they have
a good understanding and are not fettered by individual religions, again life
would be smooth.
The problem comes when both belong to different religions and
one of them insists to marry under a particular Rite, say Hindu, Muslim, or
Christian. If a marriage is to be solemnized under the Rite of a
particular religion, it is a must for both Bride and groom to be followers of
that religion. In the case of Hindu marriage, many Priests overlook this
requirement but that is not true for other religions.
The Problem (aka Love Jihad at el)
When a girl or a boy converts to another religion for the
sake of marriage, she or he faces many uncertainties. Each religion has
its personal laws, either codified or by practice. The converted person,
therefore, is subjected to those personal laws that he/she has no clue about.
Take the method of divorce in Islam (and I am not discussing its
merits/demerits or legality) which is very different. In Roman Catholic
Christians, Divorce is nearly impossible and only Church can grant it. The law
of Succession also is different in each religion.
The biggest question that these persons, getting under
pressure to convert for the sake of marriage, should seek an answer to is if
the love of a boy and a girl belonging to a different religion is true land
deep, where is any need to convert to another's religion?
However,
doubt may arise, if one person does not convert to another person's religion
and under what Rites they can marry.
The Answer
Here is the answer for those who want to marry for Pure love
for each other and not with any other motive, marrying under Special Marriage Act 1954, this is the
one-stop solution to this issue
This act is religion-neutral. A girl and a boy
belonging to any religion can marry under this act without any reference to the
religion AND without any need to convert. It is a well-drafted legislation that
primarily caters to marriages that cannot otherwise be solemnized
under any religious rite. That does not mean the bride and groom who
belong to the same religion cannot marry under this act. Marriage of a boy and
a girl with any combination of Religion, Cast, Creed, etc. can marry under this
act. If I let the readers know its colloquial name, they would find it
very familiar, it is conventionally known as registered or Court Marriage.
What are the benefits?
Here
are some of the benefits –
Pure
love stands out without two religions vying for supremacy. Your
religion to you, mine to me.
Secondly, all the rights of
individuals are clearly laid down, protected by the statute, and cannot be infringed
upon by any of the marrying party's religious laws.
This Act grants the
bride and the groom uniform secular rights and there is enforceability of
these rights by Courts which may not happen under other personal Laws.
Is Demanding Conversion of a Would-be Partner really true love?
Without espousing any further on this Law (this job is better
done by a lawyer, I am an Engineer and hence can only profess this much)
I can only say, if one is marrying another person belonging to different
religion and if that person demands that one converts to this person's
religion, one needs to look at the whole affair again. What is the need to do
that when another person is expected to accept you on an "As is where
is" basis? If their love is pure how does religion comes in?
In Conclusion
If conversion becomes a pre-condition for marriage that may
not be worth it (my personal opinion). If a boy or a girl takes a hasty
decision to convert, be mindful that the individual converting would be trapped
into personal laws that he/she was not subjected to earlier and about which
he/she has no knowledge.
Why would anyone have any objection to marrying his or her
love, keeping their religion to where they belong, to each individual, under
Special Marriage Act 1954, which is a one-stop solution to marrying your love, of
life keeping the marriage and married life straight, secular, and simple?
The issue is, many young boys and girls are not even aware of
the fact that such an option exists.
Do read the act and advise others where needed least they get trapped into something they had no idea about.
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