LARKANA: Participants in a consultative dialogue on the Hindu Marriage Act-2016 held here on Wednesday called for taking Hindu scholars, holy men and panchayats on board before framing such laws.

It was noted with concern that a clause in the Act’s 2015 version making it mandatory upon a newly-wed couple to get their wedlock registered within 45 days of the marriage in accordance with the provincial laws was omitted in the new Act. They said the clause should be inducted and the period restricted to 15 days, arguing that it was so long a period during which the marriage could be influenced.

Referring to the Section-10 of the Act, they said the government had committed to frame more laws within a period of three months after promulgating it but the the promise remained unfulfilled so far.

The Section-14 of the Act envisaged seeking of guidance from the existing laws if anything emerged to be in contravention of the 1973 Constitution, they said, and demanded that religious restrictions barring marriage of cousins should be studied minutely considering poverty, limited options and dearth of a suitable match etc which could be the issues to be faced by parents of girls.

Prof Mukhtair Samo, Advocate Mohan Lal, Viji Kumar of the local panchayat committee and some other participants stressed that Hindus’ centuries-old customs, traditions and culture relating to marriages should not be disturbed and warned that this could undermine the basic nomenclature of the religion.

They suggested that discussions and dialogues with Hindu scholars, pundits and organisations be held before drafting and implementing such laws.

They demanded that the word ‘credible person’ for the key witness to the wedding to be named in the marriage document be replaced with ‘Hindu Mukhi’ or ‘panch’ They said the term ‘credible’ was is vague one.

Advocate Srichand stood for allowing a person to marry twice or thrice or have more than one life partner at a time as is permissible in Islam.

Ghulam Mustafa Baloch, a social activist, spoke on certain customs and traditions in the Hindu religion which, according to him, hindered marriages. He called for addressing such things.

DSP Yar Mohammed Rind told the participants that every religion preached tolerance, love and accommodating other human beings but people followed the things suiting their own interests.

Jamil Munawwar Abro, Zakir Samo, Sharafat Ali, Syed Soofan Shah, Musarrat Chandio and others also spoke.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2016