SIKH MARRIAGE ACT ready for Cabinet nod, will also open the door for other communities to demand a Marriage Act for them. Traditions and customs followed in different parts of the world may not be the same. However, as the excitement associated with the wedding ceremonies is the same all over, its registration should be common for all communities.
There are different laws and special marriage Acts governing marriages of different religions in India. The Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Parsi and Special Marriage Acts lay down fundamental guidelines to be followed for marriage, eligibility, information on documentation procedure and guidelines to sort out disputes in the case of a marital discord.
There is also tremendous diversity in India. One can witness peaceful co-existence of many different religions and cultures in India. There also exists the freedom to get married with any individual of the opposite gender irrespective of religion and culture as long as the individual is above the legal age of marriage.
I would suggest that instead of making new Acts and amendments, only the Indian Marriage Act should be introduced for the the registration of marriages irrespective of one’s caste, creed and religion. There should only be a column of community at the time of registration of marriage and this would definitely simplify the procedure and no community will have any problem on this account.
HARISH K. MONGA
