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Sikh Council on Religion and Education [SCORE] American Sikhs Applaud the passage of Anand Marriage Amendment (Sikh Marriage ceremony) in the Indian Parliament. Washington, May 22, 2012: American Sikhs expressed their joy and satisfaction at the passage of Anand Marriage Amendment in the Indian Parliament yesterday. Dr. Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Washington based Sikh Council on Religion and Education, said, “ this is a historic day for Sikhs in the Independent India after a long and hard struggle. Not having a full recognition of their observances and their customs in India had created a sense of lack among Sikhs in India and it questioned their independent identity as a community. This thoughtful action by the elected leaders of India honors the Sikh tradition and its validity. It also sends a signal that India welcomes its own vibrant diversity and honors its own minorities. Comprehensive law recognition the Sikh marriage is still needed which would require community wide deliberations and we appeal to Sikh leaders to involve various sections of Sikh intelligentsia. " Parliament has passed a Bill to remove doubts on the validity of the 'Anand Karaj' (marriage) among the Sikhs. Rajya Sabha had adopted the Bill on Monday by a voice vote at the recommendation of the cabinet under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Anand Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2012, which seeks to amend the Anand Marriage Act, was passed by the Lok Sabha by a voice vote. Moving the Bill for consideration, law minister Salman Khurshid said the legislation was evidence of the intention of the government to respect the sentiments of people of all religious communities. The Bill seeks to amend the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, to provide for compulsory registration of 'Anand Karaj' marriages. Rajwant Singh further added, "We are proud of Sikh parliamentarian Tarlochan Singh for his meticulous legislative work and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his support as the head of Indian political office. Both deserve applause from the entire worldwide Sikh community. We as a community must continue to make full use of the political process to get full rights and this is a prime example.” Dr. I.J. Singh, a New York based Sikh commentator and author of several Sikh books, said, “Passage of Anand Marriage Amendment is obviously important for Sikhs in India and Sikhs across the world. It is crucial step but it is a pity that it took 60 years. Not that we as a community did not protest or struggle to get this crucial recognition, finally those efforts have brought this good. He further stated, “Forming policies around Sikhs customs is an evolving process and we hope as community develops consensus, it should not take another 60 years to make changes in the current law.” Ranjit Singh, Chairman of the Maryland based Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, said, “ We are pleased with the outcome of this long standing struggle. Finally Sikhs in India have the chance to feel that they are fully acknowledged. It is important for Sikh leaders to evolve consensus on the next phase of the process. It was great to see Sikh parliamentarians working across party lines to achieve this goal. That is a victory for Sikhs. Indian Parliament leaders also deserve recognition for their unanimous decision. |
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May 22, 2012 - NEW DELHI: Meeting a long-standing demand of the Sikh community, Parliament today passed a law allowing them to register their marriages under the Anand Marriage Act instead of the Hindu Marriage Act.
The Sikhs will be able to register their marriages under the Anand Marriage Act, Law Minister Salman Khurshid said replying to the debate on the amendment Bill which was later approved by voice vote. It was earlier passed by Rajya Sabha.
Although the Anand Marriage law was enacted in 1909, there was no provision for registration of marriages which were were registered under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.
Admitting that it had taken a lot of time to pursue amendments in the Anand Marriage Act, Khurshid said, this was a symbolic gesture and "we should respect the sentiments of all communities ...whether Bodos or any other group."
Sikh groups have maintained that members of the community face problems abroad as their certificates are issued under the Hindu Marriage Act. Besides Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists are issued certificates under the Hindu laws.
Sikh marriage ceremonies are known as 'Anand Karaj' (blissful event).
According to the amendment bill, couples whose marriages have been registered under this Act, will not be required to get their marriage registered under the Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths Act, 1969 or any other law for the time being in force.
Supporting the bill, Harsimrat Kaur (SAD) said Sikhs face problems abroad because while they identify themselves as Sikhs, their marriages are registered under the Hindu Marriage Act. She thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for approving the amendments in a recent Cabinet meeting.
P S Bajwa (Cong) said it was necessary to make it clear that the Act was never repealed as claimed by some writers in the recent past. Several other members cutting across party lines supported the Bill.