Allahabad HC orders probe into marriage certificates issued by Arya Samaj

 The Allahabad High Court has ordered an inquiry into the certificates issued by the Arya Samaj temple

The Allahabad High Court has ordered an inquiry into the certificates issued by the Arya Samaj temple. A division bench of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rajnish Kumar, has directed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Prayagraj to investigate the manner and methodology of functioning of Arya Samaj at Kydganj in Prayagraj, through its alleged Pradhan, Santosh Kumar Shastri, while issuing a marriage certificate.

The Bench further directed that an inquiry should be conducted as to whether the marriages are being performed or it is just issuing empty certificates of marriage. Santosh Kumar Shastri has also been directed to produce registers of all the marriages solemnised by him over the last five years, particularly ever since the specific restraint order was passed against him in August 2016.

The inquiry in the matter would be conducted by an officer not below the rank of Circle Officer and the report would be submitted in the court at the next date of hearing. “The possibility of an organised racket working for extraneous reasons cannot be ruled out, in which involvement/assistance of others are possible,” the bench observed…Read More

Hindus follow path of truth, Hindutva loots under guise of religion: Rahul

 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday drew a comparison between Hinduism and Hindutva saying Hindus follow the path of truth whereas Hindutva loots under the guise of religion.

Refering to a news report claiming a rush to buy land around Ram Janmbhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday drew a comparison between Hinduism and Hindutva saying Hindus follow the path of truth whereas Hindutva loots under the guise of religion.

Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said, “Hindus follow the path of truth. Hindutva loots under the guise of religion.” The Congress leader also shared the news report that claimed many BJP leaders and some officials of the Uttar Pradesh government have bought land around the under-construction Ram Janmbhoomi Temple in Ayodhya at throwaway prices.

Following the report, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered an inquiry after names of relatives of several state ministers and officials appear in Ayodhya land deals. Special Secretary Revenue will investigate the matter and present a report to the government in a week.

Govt has assured visas to 600 Sikhs and Hindus from Afghanistan: DSGMC

DSGMC president met External Affairs Ministry officials and claimed that he had been assured that 600 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan will be issued visas by India in the coming days

Current Affairs: Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa met External Affairs Ministry officials on Monday and claimed that he had been assured that 600 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan will be issued visas by India in the coming days. A delegation led by Sirsa met the incharge of Afghanistan and Pakistan desk of the ministry, JP Singh,a DSGMC statement said.

Sirsa told reporters that he took up the issue of bringing to India the remaining Hindu and Sikh families from Afghanistan and the ministry assured him that 600 people whose list is ready will be given visas within a week. “India will issue visas to all remaining Hindu and Sikhs families to repatriate them as soon as possible. This assurance was given to the DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa here today,” the statement said.

Sirsa claimed that the ministry has assured him that the Hindus and Sikhs will be issued “long term” visas. Those left out can apply for visa and will get the same as soon as they will apply, the statement said. “We will ensure that those Hindu and Sikh families left out in Afghanistan are brought here,” Sirsa said thanking the government and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

PMC Bank scam: 2,000 Sikhs from Maharashtra can’t go to Kartarpur

Ravindra Kaur Saini, who has three accounts in the PMC Bank, said she was disappointed at not being able to be a part of the historic pilgrimage

At least 1,950 Sikhs from Maharashtra could not go to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan after opening of the Kartarpur corridor as they are facing financial crunch due to a scam at the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank, a senior community leader claimed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Kartarpur corridor and flagged off the first batch of over 500 Indian pilgrims, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. The corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district.

The PMC Bank has been put under restrictions by the RBI since September after an alleged Rs 4,355 crore PMC Bank scam came to light, following which the deposit withdrawal was initially capped at Rs 1,000, causing panic and distress among depositors. The withdrawal limit has been raised in a staggered manner to Rs 50,000.

Nearly 2,000 Sikhs from Mumbai, Nashik, Nanded, Navi Mumbai and Thane, most of whom have accounts in the PMC Bank, wanted to go on to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib as part of the trip organised by local body Nirmaan Sevak Jattha, Hardev Singh Saini, member of a gurudwara committee in Kurla, said.

“We were in the process of submitting their details online on the required website, but suddenly due to the PMC Bank crisis many opted out. Of these 2,000 people, only about 50 could finally manage to go. All others dropped out due to lack of money because of the PMC Bank scam,” he claimed...

Time for PM to speak up as abandoned wives outnumber Triple Talaq victims

Women staying in marriage is highest amongst Muslims compared to Hindus and Christians

 

#LATEST| The life of every woman unilaterally separated from her spouse is pathetic. They face challenges and constraints both in their marital and natal families.

The RSS-affiliated Rashtrawadi Muslim Mahila Sangh approached the Supreme Court of India through an application in June for codification of ‘Muslim personal law’, especially to end practices such as polygamy and triple talaq, or instantaneous divorce. The court in October sought the opinion and recommendation of the Government of India on these issues. The government responded that the absence of reforms in the (Muslim) community during the past 65 years has left Muslim women “extremely vulnerable, both socially as well as financially”. Almost immediately on October 24, 2016 Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the practice of the so-called ‘triple talaq system’. Addressing a rally in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, he stated that “no injustice should be meted out to our mothers and sisters in the name of religion or community.”

At first glance, this seems like a happy moment for the Muslims of India that even the BJP and its cultural mascot, the RSS, intends to improve the conditions of Muslim women; an indication, surely, that one day this will do good for Muslim men as well.

What the data shows

Yet, our happiness was shattered when we did a little research using data from the Census of India – 2011. This analysis raises the following questions: Is the Muslim women’s condition in India as pathetic as the Modi government, the RSS and other surrogates claim it to be? Are Muslim women socially and financially “extremely vulnerable” – as mentioned in the government’s affidavit to the Supreme Court? And how is their situation compared to their sisters from the Hindu, Christian and other religious communities? Since no credible data was put forth as evidence – neither in the government affidavit nor in the prime minister’s speech – it is useful to see what the census data tells us.

We have analysed data from the ‘Marital Status by Religious Community and Sex – 2011’ C3 table of the census in order to try and establish what the empirical position is.

Our principal finding is that the situation of Indian Muslim women seems far better than women from other religious groups.

For example, the percentage of women staying in marriage is highest amongst Muslims (87.8%) compared to Hindus (86.2%), Christians (83.7%) and other religious minorities (85.8%).

The percentage of widowed women is least amongst Muslims (11.1%) compared to Hindus (12.9%), Christians (14.6%) and other religious Minorities (13.3%). It is likely that the culture of widow remarriages provides a higher level of family protection to Muslim women compared to women from other religious communities.

The percentage of separated and abandoned women is also least amongst the Muslims (0.67%) compared to Hindus (0.69%), Christians (1.19%) and other religious Minorities (0.68%).

The same census data suggests that the divorced women percentage is higher amongst the Muslims at 0.49% and Christians at 0.47% compared to other religious minorities (0.33%) and the Hindus, at 0.22%. The practice of getting a divorce amongst the Hindus is traditionally non-existent. Out of 340 million ever-married women 9.1 lakhs are divorced and amongst them 2.1 lakhs are Muslims.

The process of talaq (divorce) is clearly laid down in the Holy Quran, which is against triple talaq. The triple talaq was an exception rather than a rule under special circumstance. Divorce is not a whim. Both men and women are required to follow a process that involves at least three months (or three menstrual cycles) after separation and reconciliation efforts fail. The logic is twofold; if the woman can bear a child, the system wants to ensure that she is not pregnant and if she were, child support has to be figured in. The other reason is to allow each other to find a place to live and not get thrown on the street.

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