By V.M. Khaleellur Rahman for TwoCircles.net,
Vellore (Tamilnadu): With the ambition to reform the community and to solve its problems, a United Jama’t Forum has been formed by some Muslim dignitaries in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, India. This important step was taken in a meeting of Motawallis (caretakers) of Vellore district’s Masjids held at Melvisharam city in Vellore on 21st December 2009.
At the meeting, M. Mohammed Hashim of Melvisharam, N. Mohammed Sayeed and M. Rafeeque Ahmed of Ambur were elected as President, General Secretary and Convener respectively while some other personalities were nominated as Committee members.
Of course we should congratulate all concerned for this formation and hope that the Muslim community will receive the support and guidance from the organization to reduce their educational and economical backwardness.
To fulfill the community needs the organization should create awareness among Muslims about the importance of higher professional education and help the meritorious poor and needy students to get it. The organization should also pay especial attention on reformation of the community from evils such as dowry, triple divorce etc. by imparting Islamic values and thoughts to them. These things should be among the topics of Jumma sermons in masjids to convay the teaching of Islam to the society.
However, one of the issues discussed in the meeting was the recently enacted registration of marriages Act 2009 of Tamil Nadu.
It should be known to all that the Tamil Nadu government has brought in registration of marriages Act 2009 vide its G.O. Ms. No.987, Home (Courts –IV), effective from 24th November 2009 for all religious communities in accordance with the Supreme Court invocation and in consonance with the U.N. General Assembly convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women held in 1979 and ratified in 1993. It is said that India agreeing in principle that registration of marriages was necessary, had expressed its reservation as it is a plural country with different customs, traditions, castes, creeds, religions and educational levels.
In spite of the reservation expressed by India in the above convention, the supreme court in Seema vs Ashwini Kumar case noted with concern that in large number of cases some unscrupulous persons are denying the existence of marriage as there is no official record of the marriage in most states and hence invoked the need for registration of marriages throughout the country. All the states including the union territories felt that it is highly desirable particularly for the prevention of child marriages which are prevalent even now in some parts of the country.
According to reports available, most of the states have framed rules regarding registration of marriages with varying degrees of emphasis. While in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat etc. registration of marriages is compulsory, it is not so in some other states like Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, Meghalaya etc.
It is also a fact that Muslims in India particularly in Tamil Nadu have been maintaining records of marriages since pre-partition days. One feels that if the registration of marriage is nothing but just giving information about every solemnized marriage, it should be welcomed as it will be beneficial to the Muslim community.
The Corporation of Chennai records all birth and death details given by hospitals, individuals etc. and make them available in its website. Anybody can have the certificate of birth or death from the website anytime and use it. Things are so simple now, thanks to the technological advancement. If marriages are registered, it will be on record in the website and be useful to all. Generally speaking the registration of marriages Act seems to be beneficial to the community as it is meant to eradicate many evils of the society such as child marriages.