CHANDIGARH, Punjab—Sikh couples in Haryana will no longer have to get their marriages registered under the Hindu Marriage Act as the Haryana government has fulfilled the long pending demand of Sikhs to implement the Anand Marriage Act. The provincial government on Wednesday announced the formation of rules to register Anand Karaj, the Sikh marriage ceremony, solemnized by the community members.
Political experts think that the fresh move appears to be an attempt by Bhupinder Singh Hooda government to woo the community members ahead of upcoming assembly polls in October. Sikhs have a significant say in 30 assembly seats of Sirsa, Kurukshetra, Ambala, and Karnal Lok Sabha constituencies, and a presence in Faridabad, and Gurgoan.
Didar Singh Nalvi, president of Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) (ad hoc) said that Haryana has the second largest population of Sikhs in the country after Punjab with around 15% inhabitants. Welcoming the fresh move, Nalvi said, “It’s a belated but right decision.”
Sikh organizations have been maintaining that members of the community face problems abroad as their certificates are issued under the Hindu Marriage Act.
Former president of Punjab and Haryana Bar Association Kulbir Singh Dhaliwal said, “We were waiting for such a move since long. Such issues have emotional impact on the mindset of every individual, who wants that the law should recognize their way of wedding.”
Though the Anand marriage law was enacted in 1909, there was no provision for registration of marriages, which were registered under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The parliament had passed the law allowing Sikhs to register their marriages under the Anand Marriage Act, instead of the Hindu Marriage Act in 2012, but Haryana has issued the notification now.
Meanwhile, the new rules, which have been implemented with immediate effect, would be called Haryana Anand Marriages Registration Rules, 2014.
