By Ritu Sharma
Stating that “under the name of love jihad, a game is being played in the state” and “a strong armour… needs to be created for young girls”, the Gujarat government Friday proposed amendments to the Gujarat Registration of Marriages Act, 2006, including a provision that makes consent of parents compulsory for registration of a marriage.
Tabling the proposal in the state Assembly under Assembly Rule 44, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi cited cases from the Panchmahal district where “there was not a single Muslim or mosque yet hundreds of nikaah certificates were issued” and from the districts of Banaskantha, Navsari and Mehsana.
‘Matter of public importance’
Calling it a matter of “public importance”, Sanghavi said the government was “not against love marriages” but was proposing the amendment for “protecting dignity of girls and sanatan dharma”.
Consent of parents in the marriage registration process is proposed to be made mandatory and they will be officially informed via a WhatsApp message after a marriage registration application is submitted. “The parents of the bride and groom will be informed within ten working days of the confirmation of the Assistant Registrar and the same will be communicated electronically or physically (through the means prescribed by the government) as may be practicable,” the proposal stated.
30 days to send in suggestions
The government announced a 30-day period for public suggestions and recommendations on the proposed changes. A committee will be constituted to review the suggestions and recommendations before the law is amended and a dedicated portal will be created for registration of marriages. Under the proposed regulation, the registration of a marriage will take at least 30 days.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.
