Sikhs get a separate marriage law in Pakistan

DESPITE being a microscopic minority, the Sikhs of Pakistan can now boast of something which has eluded their Indian counterparts since 1980 - a separate law for registering Sikh marriages. On Tuesday, the Pakistani Cabinet approved an ordinance recommending Constitutional status for a Sikh marriage.

On the other hand, in India, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Man agement Committee wondered why the Indian Government is still silent about a similar request. "We put the request of the Anand Marriage Act before the Indian Government for the first time in 1980. Till today, it has fallen on deaf ears. When India got its first Sikh Prime Minister in Manmohan Singh, our hopes surged, only to be disappointed. Recently, the Supreme Court ordered that all marriages be legally registered.

In the wake of this ruling, Sikhs demand a separate identity from Hindus, especially in matters of marriage, adoption and divorce. We have requested the Government again after Pakistan took the lead. Let's hope something positive comes out of this," said Paramjit Singh Saran, president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

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Article taken from the issue: 25 Jan 2008