Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bhopal (Agenzia Fides) - Police in Madhya Pradesh have annulled the marriage between a young Christian and a Hindu woman, after protests by extremist groups. As Fides learns, the Christian Joseph Pawar, 20 years old, and the 19-year-old Hindu girl Ayushi Wani, got married in Bhopal, a Hindu temple, on September 28 and then fled to Gujarat. They were traced by the police of Gujarat, after the girl's parents had filed a complaint and after several radical Hindu groups had threatened to launch a general protest.
According to one version, the girl is in love with Joseph and the two got married freely, refusing to go back to their parents. According to the Hindu activists, Joseph lured the girl and forced her to get married. They were found by the police where Joseph was escorted to ensure his safety. Police met with the families of the two separately. The local superintendent declared the nullity of the marriage, saying that Joseph is not a Hindu and in order to marry Ayushi he should have converted to Hinduism, following a procedure prescribed by the Freedom of Religion Act, the text of the law in force in the state of Madhya Pradesh. According to the law, a person who intends to convert or marry must notify it to the District Magistrate with a month in advance. The decision to annul the act, the police said, was nevertheless taken immediately to avert the danger of a mass uprising.
In a report published in recent days, more than 90 religious leaders and representatives of civil society organizations in India have asked the Indian Premier Narendra Modi to protect the rights of minorities and to take measures to stop extremist groups that create tension in the Indian society. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 06/10/2014)
