By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
The recent order by the Uttar Pradesh government which makes it mandatory to register marriages has largely been welcomed by the Muslim leaders of the state, even though there are a few conditions that have not gone down well with the Muslim community.
Zafaryab Jilani, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has welcomed the decision. He said, “I see no problem why anyone would oppose it. People get various benefits when they go out of India or when they apply for passports. This should have been done long ago.”
However, one of the clauses of this compulsory registration is that the couple must have Aadhaar cards, and Jilani believes that this could have been avoided or at least be accompanied by alternatives. “Many people still do not have Aadhaar card, especially those who live in rural areas of the state. There should be a separate provision for those who do not have Aadhar card,” he added.
Vice-chancellor of Darul Uloom Deoband Maulana Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani said this scheme might face logistical issues even as he welcomed the move. “Marriage registration is a good practice, but making it compulsory is not. So many marriages are happening in the state, how can one register itself who are living in remote areas and does not have information of this?”
The inclusion of a mandatory passport size photo for registration has, however, not been welcomed by Islamic clerics. Government spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh said yesterday that if the people do not have any problem putting a photo on their Aadhaar card, they should not have any problem putting it onto registration form as well.
To this, Nomani said, “This step is a hit on Islamic values because putting photos on marriage forms has never been an Islamic practice.”
“It is like asking people to get Aadhar card. Many people do not have it, so they cannot get register their marriage as well. And as they cannot get their marriage registered, they cannot get the benefit of government schemes. Basically, the step not just bypasses Islamic values, it also does the same with common social values,” added Nomani.
But some clerics do not see any problem with the photograph. Lucknow-based cleric Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali said, “People put it when they apply for the passport, what is the problem in putting it for marriage registration?” He said, “I agree with this decision, but there should be some relaxation. The government should not do push it as mandatory; instead, they should make more people aware so that they voluntarily go for registration.”
Before the scheme was launched, several rumours were doing rounds primary among which was that if a couple does not have a registered certificate, the marriage will be deemed invalid. The only ‘loss’ of not complying with this rule is that couples will be unable to benefit from various government schemes.
The marriage registration scheme also includes a provision that the marriages should be conducted within UP and one from the couple should be a resident of UP. The registration should be done within a year of the marriage, it stipulates.
The task has been assigned to the Stamp and Registration Department and the whole process of registration will be made online.