Sikhs may have separate marriage law soon

Sikhs are likely to have a separate marriage law soon with the Ministry of Home Affairs planning to move the Union Cabinet in this regard.

Ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, the Centre has decided to accede to the long-standing demand of the Sikh community for enacting a separate Anand Marriage Act, giving legal sanctity to the marriages under Sikh religion, official sources said.

So far, Sikh marriages are solemnised under Hindu Marriage Act after the annulment of the Sikh Marriage Act in 1955.

Prior to Independence, marriages among Sikhs were held under the Anand Marriage Act in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib and the practice continued till 1955 when the Sikh Marriage Act was replaced and included in the Hindu Marriage Act, clubbing four communities together-- Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain.

The sources said after the Cabinet clears the proposal, a bill in this effect will be tabled in Parliament and once it gets approval, Sikhs can marry under the new law.

However, it is not clear whether the bill would be tabled in the current session of Parliament, they said.Several political, religious groups and individuals, including former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Congress leader R S Jaura, have appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram for enactment of a separate law for solemnising Sikh marriages.

Earlier, a Parliamentary Standing Committee had unanimously approved the creation of the marriage law for Sikhs.

However, the Centre has been refraining from acting on it it apparently apprehending that it could lead to similar demands from other communities covered under the Hindu Marriage Act.

APSCC castigates Congress

APSCC castigates Congress for trying to divide Sikhs

All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) has castigated Congress party for “always trying to weaken

Sikh community and divide them in the name of different Sikh Sects”.

“Sehajdhari issue raised by them is a clear indication that all communal Hindu parties are in favor of dilution

of Sikhism which is not tolerable to any Sikh living in and around the globe,” APSCC chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said in a statement.

He said that the issue of Sehajdharis cannot triumph over the faith of those who believe in strong teaching of Sikhism whether it is Amritdhari, Khalsa or clean shaved Sehajdharis.

“The definition of Sikhism is very much the belief in one god, equality, brotherhood and respect and tolerance for all religions,” he said.The chairman termed it “pathetic” that an issue was being raised during crucial time of SGPC polls and efforts are being made to turn Amritdhari and Sehajdharis against each other.He said that these seem to be well governed conspiracies of political parties and politicians sitting in Parliament.

“It is high time for Prakash Singh Badal to come forward, forgetting all vote bank politics if he feels that he is a true Sikh, as he and his party are totally managing the Sikh affairs since last few decades,” the statement said. “But at the same time he is unrecovered by the BJP and its allies like RSS and Shiv Sena, who always oppose the development of Sikh Community whether Sehajdharis or Amritdharis.” “Clear example of this is division of Punjab and creation of Haryana on the basis of religion, which Britishers did in India during their rule, and enemies of Punjab are now sitting in parliament on the basis of such vote bank,” the spokesman added.ASPCC chairman urged Anna Hazare to go to Punjab and Delhi to understand the importance of Sikh unity for the development and safety of India, as this will divide India on the basis of religion and such move will sow the seed for further division of India.He urged all Sehajdhari Sikhs to come forward and act upon the teaching of Gurus belief of oneness and faith for strengthening the oneness of Sikhs.