ISLAMABAD: The country’s largest minority, the Hindu community, has demanded the government to introduce and implement legislation on an immediate basis to protect their marriage rights.
During a protest rally here on Thursday, they also appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of absence of laws for their rights.
The move comes a day after the Supreme Court took serious notice of non-registration of Hindu marriages in Pakistan and asked the National Database and Regulatory Authority (Nadra) to amend its rules and regulations for issuance of identity cards to Hindu women within two days.
While condemning the prolonged delay in the passage of the Hindu Marriage Registration Act, scheduled caste Hindus gathered outside the National Press Club on Thursday and marched towards the Parliament House to lodge their protest against what they called “social discrimination” resulting from an absence of this law.
The demonstration was organised by Scheduled Caste Rights Movement (SCRM) in collaboration with ActionAid.
The protestors, including members of the Hindu community from across the country and civil right activists, held a mock marriage ceremony in front of the National Press Club to mark the ineffectiveness of a marriage when it is not registered with the government.
“In Pakistan no one listens to us, we are helpless; our married women are forced to convert and are abducted by influential people and raped, sold or re-married to non-Hindus,” said Chami Mai and Tipu Mai, who came all the way from Bahawalpur to join the protest. SCRM president Guru Sukh Dev said that scheduled caste Hindus realised they needed a collective platform for pitching their demands four years back.
SCRM lobbied with many parliamentarians and introduced a marriage registration bill in the parliament which is still pending.
In 2011, a bill for a law to register Hindu marriage was presented in the National Assembly but so far there has been no progress.
“We earnestly demand an early passage of the Hindu marriage registration law so that it brings an end to our sufferings and insecurities,” Dev said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 30th, 2012.
COMMENTS (4)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@Pakistani Hindu: ya brother and we will fight for our's rights in india too..we people have big problems after gujrat riots
every citizen has right to be protect by state, Government and Parliament. it is very much strange why legislature is not done since 1947 even after legislature for Muslim for family matters. Pakistan parliament should make immediate legislature for Hindu family problems. President of Pakistan can issue immediatly an ordinance in this regard. Saac Shibli Asc
Time to fight for our rights..!!
Another reason why Pakistan will never become a trily secular nation. With the new interest for independeny states I wouldnt be sirprosed to see Pakistan to disolve if not precented.