Mumbai: The Maharashtra authorities’s newly-formed committee to trace interfaith marriages isn’t about tracing “love jihad” however about serving to girls who’ve gone towards their mother and father’ needs and married exterior their faith to communicate with their unique mother and father, the chairman of the panel, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, mentioned.
In an interview with ThePrint, the minister of girls and youngster improvement and tourism, ability improvement & entrepreneurship, authorities of Maharashtra, mentioned the committee has been shaped particularly to deal with interfaith marriages as a result of the issues in such circumstances are extra acute.
“There is no such thing as a involvement of any ‘love jihad’ idea on this. It’s solely to assist these ladies who’ve gone towards the needs of their unique household. We wish to defend them, we wish them to speak with their unique household. That’s all,” mentioned Lodha, a Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) MLA from Mumbai’s upscale Malabar Hill constituency.
‘Love jihad’ is a time period some use to consult with interfaith marriages or relationships allegedly carried out with the intent to transform Hindu ladies to different religions.
“Usually there are issues all over the place, however in inter-religion marriages, everyone knows that that is extra acute,” he mentioned, including that in such circumstances mother and father usually break ties with their kids who’re left feeling they’ve nobody to fall again on.
Referred to as the ‘Inter-religion marriage-family coordination committee’, the Maharashtra authorities’s 13-member committee was constituted Tuesday to trace not simply interfaith, but additionally inter-caste marriages.
Nonetheless, the Lodha-led girls and youngster improvement division Thursday issued a contemporary authorities decision to restrict the scope of the panel to interfaith marriages and even included a Muslim consultant.
A replica of the decision is with ThePrint.
The event got here lower than per week after Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the house portfolio, mentioned that the Maharashtra authorities will research legal guidelines associated to “love jihad” in different states and would accordingly determine on having one.
In his interview with ThePrint, although, Lodha mentioned he didn’t wish to touch upon whether or not Maharashtra wants a legislation to trace inter-religious marriages.
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‘Committee shaped to keep away from one other Shraddha Walkar’
Lodha mentioned his division determined to kind the committee because the Shraddha Walkar case was an “eye opener.”
“She was murdered and there was nobody to hint whether or not she was alive or lifeless for six lengthy months. The principle cause is that when she entered into an inter-religion relationship, she was utterly disconnected from her unique household, mates, kinfolk, everybody. And the boy knew that she didn’t have anybody besides him,” mentioned Lodha.
Walkar, who’s from Mumbai, was residing along with her 28-year-old accomplice Aftab Amin Poonawalla, who strangled her in Could and saved her physique in a fridge. The homicide got here to gentle solely in November this 12 months.
Earlier this month, Walkar’s father Vikas had met Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis who assured him that he’ll get justice.
“There was a Nirbhaya case in Delhi (2012 gang grape and homicide case), so we shaped the Nirbhaya fund, we received further alert. Now now we have the Shraddha Walkar case, so we received further alert and are doing this.
The committee has drawn flak from the Opposition in Maharashtra with Nationalist Congress Celebration (NCP) MLA Jitendra Awhad saying that the federal government is interfering in individuals’s non-public lives.
Lodha, nonetheless, mentioned he didn’t want to touch upon the Opposition’s response. “If no one needs (one other) Shraddha Walkar case…it’s an eye-opener. We’re doing the work that we’re presupposed to do as the ladies and youngster improvement division”.
‘Anybody in misery can name a helpline’
In keeping with the federal government decision, the committee will coordinate with officers on the district and divisional places of work to observe registered and unregistered inter-religious marriages, inter-religious weddings at locations of worship, and interfaith marriages the place the bride and groom have eloped.
The committee members, who will work in an honorary capability, are anticipated to get in contact with the newlyweds in addition to their households to find out if they’re in contact with one another.
The federal government decision additional says that in case the newlyweds aren’t in contact with their households, the committee will decide the addresses of the households and provides them details about their kids.
“If the households are usually not keen to talk to their kids or vice-versa, the committee can even prepare for counselling by specialists,” mentioned Lodha. “Within the subsequent 15 days, we are going to launch a helpline on which anybody in misery can name and we are going to reply.”
Apart from Lodha himself, the committee includes the principal secretary of the girl and youngster improvement division, the commissioner and deputy commissioner of the ladies and youngster welfare, and eight non-government individuals who’re concerned in social work, Lodha mentioned.
The division has additionally tasked the committee with learning the questions, insurance policies, legal guidelines, and welfare schemes related with inter-religious marriages within the state and the central authorities, and making ideas for any modifications.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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