Looks like Pakistan's Anand Marriage Act did its trick and put Bharat sarkaar to shame. However, lets wait for it to be implemented for real and hope Sikhs are not left dreaming with false hopes.

[epaper.timesofindia.com]

Plans to bring in special marriage Act for Sikhs

Ramaninder K Bhatia | TNN

Chandigarh: Union Law minister HR Bhardwaj’s announcement in the Rajya Sabha on Monday that the government was planning to bring in a special marriage Act for Sikhs is been applauded by the community. Enactment of Anand marriage Act has been a longpending demand of Sikhs and it was renewed recently when the Pakistan government introduced the Act, in November 2007 and adopted it last month.

The Act was first compiled in 1909, by the then Maharaja of Nabha, and the elite Sikh body, Chief Khalsa Diwan, had lobbied hard for it. Our efforts paid off, says Makkar

Chandigarh: “Though the British-ruled Punjab council adopted the Act, no machinery was put in place for its implementation,” informed Sikh Affairs expert GS Lamba, who is also the editor of community journal ‘Sant Sipahi’.

“The Arya samaj leaders had opposed the Act on the grounds that it supported the notion of a separate identity for Sikhs, which was against the philosophy of the samaj,” he stated. The Act has not been abrogated though in 1955, with the adoption of Hindu Code Bill, Sikhs were brought under the Hindu Marriage Act, he added.

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar claimed the committee’s efforts had finally paid off. “The matter was repeatedly raised by SAD party MPs and the SGPC had also written letters to the PM demanding enactment of the Act,” he told TOI.

The Anand Marriage Act is basically a validation act, solemnizing the marriages held under Anand Karaj. The ceremony (Anand Karaj) has been in practice ever since the days of fourth Sikh master, Guru Ram Dass, who wrote the scriptures (lavaan) relating to the ceremony and were incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib .

Meanwhile, Bhardwaj informed the RS members that the government had taken note of demands by Sikh organizations, seeking implementation of the Act, and “there should be no problem in introducing such an act.”



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2008 11:54AM by admin.