MLA Rais Shaikh of the Samajwadi party plans to go to court against the government resolution, calling it “bad law”. Women’s groups are organizing a protest against this “form of surveillance”. They emphasize that the state has no right to interfere in the personal lives of adult citizens who are authorized by the Constitution to marry according to their wishes.
The government resolution says that detailed information should be gathered on such marriages even if they are unregistered, the marriage takes place in a religious establishment or the couple elopes. The committee should also find out if the woman is in contact with her maternal family or has estranged and get her contact details from her family. She proposes creating a platform to enable women in such marriages and their maternal families to access counseling, communicate and resolve disputes.
Shraddha Walkar was in a relationship with Aaftab Poonawalla, both from the extreme northern suburbs of Mumbai, and is believed to have been assassinated by him in Delhi. His body would be cut into 35 pieces and disposed of.
“This government resolution cannot override the Constitution and it is a bad law. We will go to court. This has clearly been done with a common mind to harass a particular community,” Shaikh said. He said the GR was issued without government approval.
“Is the government trying to restore the caste system? This goes against the Constitution. Is it a government or a marriage bureau? It’s lucky they are not saying yet we will see kundali and let you know if the marriage can go ahead,” NCP’s Jitendra Awhad tweeted.
State Minister for Women and Child Care Mangalprabhat Lodha defended the move. “The scope of the committee is limited. This is for the benefit of women who have entered into interfaith marriages and thus communication with their maternal families is disrupted. We do not want another Shraddha Walkar case in the state,” he said. The government will provide a helpline number.
“If there are obstacles in such marriages, there are options. The government should strengthen laws that protect women from Domestic violence and provide security. Instead, it is trying to take away democratic rights and independence from women,” said Kiran Moghe of the Sanghatna. The letter also contested the composition of the committee, claiming it includes a lawyer for the accused in the Narendra Dabholkar case and a suspect linked to a terrorist group.
