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| India-Pakistan |
| 'Conversion will not annul a Hindu marriage' |
| 2016-02-19 |
| [DAWN] PML-N MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwami on Wednesday won the support of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights for amending the Hindu Marriage Bill already cleared by a National Assembly committee. Dr Ramesh had been demanding removal of a clause in the draft Hindu Marriage Bill which stated that a marriage would be dissolved if any of the spouses converted to another religion. "The clause can be misused to forcefully convert married Hindu women the same way maidens of tender years have been kidnapped and forced to convert to other religions," he pleaded with the Senate committee. Clause 12 of the bill hit the basic human rights ...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedomat the convenience of the state... of the Hindus living in Pakistain, he said. Senator Farhatullah Babar supported annulling 'the repressive' clause. "It amounts to promoting forced conversions not only of young unmarried girls but also of married Hindu women. It is a grave human right violation of the Hindus," said the PPP senator. Senate committee chairperson Nasreen Jalil of MQM and some others, including senators Sitara Ayaz and Mir Kabir Ahmed Muhammad Shahi, also found the clause repugnant. However, a clean conscience makes a soft pillow... most committee members were reluctant to accept Dr Ramesh's proposal that bride and groom must be 18 years of age. His argument was that fixing the age limit would stop kidnapping and conversion of Hindu girls as young as 12. In any case, he added, Hindu boys and girls cannot marry a co-religionist or outside their religion until they are 18. "That is the age the custodianship of their parents ends," said Dr Kumar. |
| Posted by:Fred |