Mixed responses to the recent marriage between hindu cousins

Mixed response on marriage ruling

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A ruling by the Delhi High Court last month validating the marriage of Hindu first cousins after their conversion to Christianity has evoked mixed reactions among people of various faiths in the country.

The ruling stems from a case filed by a retired jurist against his son, currently a magistrate, who married his uncle’s daughter after converting to Christianity.

“The Catholic Church expressly forbids the type of marriage validated by the Delhi High Court, in which Hindu first cousins converted to Christianity a few days before their marriage in a small and relatively unknown church, said Chhotebhai, spokesperson of the All India Catholic Union, in a press statement this week.

The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 makes marriage between cousins illegal.

Chhotebhai said the couple had erred by misusing the act of conversion for the sake of their marriage.

Father Soosai Arokiasamy of Vidyajyoti, a moral theologian, said the Church does not baptize a person - one of the acts required for conversion - simply as a convenience for getting married.

“There is a whole process involved in [conversion]. A person’s faith is tested, and when the Church is satisfied, only then can he or she become a Christian.”

He added that the marriage of cousins is never allowed by the Catholic Church “except when there is a dispensation for special reasons.”

However, Samuel Jaikumar of the National Council of Churches in India said that if someone wants to become a Christian, “the Church cannot exclude anyone for any reason.”

He added that in some parts of India it is permissible for cousins to marry, as well as uncles to marry their nieces.

Swami Agnivesh, a Hindu activist, said that there were scientific rather than moral objections to marriage between cousins, but that conversion to one religion or another was irrelevant.

“I don’t think that it would be right to relate this matter to the conversion issue. If two people want to stay together, no matter what religion they belong, they should get married.”

https://www.cathnewsindia.com/2011/08/09/mixed-response-on-marriage-ruling/

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5 Replies

Ravinder Kumar (Account Director) 09 August 2011

What has happened to us (the society).. husband & wife cant live together but we are finding love/partners in married people, cousins and god knows what else in coming days...

Sachi mai Kalyug aagaya hai Babuji...

hema (law officer) 10 August 2011

kalyug me kyoun? Dwapar yug me bhi isi ghatnaye ghati.

Lord Krishna's elder brother was Balram and younger sister was Subhadra. Subhadra married Arjun and they had a son - Abhimanyu. Balram had a daughter Sasirekha. Abhimanyu and Sasirekha ran away and married against the wishes of Balram, who wanted to get her daughter married to Uttar Kumar, the son of Duryodhana. What was the relationship between Abhimanyu and Sasirekha? For Abhimanyu - Sasirekha was the matenal uncle's daughter.

Through the incident reported by Roshni, hindus have got the opportunity to bash christians, where as about 75 per cent marriages in Andhra Pradesh, some parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are held in Sapindas, which has been protected by Hindu Marriage Act vide Section 5 (iv) & (v).

Ravinder Kumar (Account Director) 10 August 2011

Ya, I stayed in AP for 6 years during my schooling and saw marriage happening between cousins ..There even you can marry your sisters kid, if I rememebr correctly ..

However the same is not allowed in Northen part of India, leave aside cousins you cant marry someone from your own village..And that is why so many Honor killings..

My argument is that why we should get ourself involve in complexities, we are 125 billion people in India and can find a better matche for self other than those mentioned in the article...

Dr. MPS RAMANI Ph.D.[Tech.] (Scientist/Engineer) 11 August 2011

I am surprised that a court of law validated a marriage, which was otherwise prohibited among Hindus as well as Christians. Someone would have misled the couple into believing Christians can marry first cousins. Was the cousin paternal uncle’s daughter or that of the maternal uncle? Marriage between paternal cousins is prohibited under most religions. Perhaps it is permissible for Muslims. In the film Pakeeza, paternal cousins get married.

Under the Hindu Marriage Act, marriage between all kinds of first cousins is prohibited. But the Act states that marriage between close blood relations is permitted, if such marriages are customary in any particular community. In the South marriage between first cross-cousins are permissible. Marriage between maternal uncle and his niece is also permitted in Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Karnataka, but not in Kerala. In any case marriage between Hindu first cousins is a strict no-no in North India.

Well the court has validated the marriage. If we speak against that we may be hauled up for contempt of court. Let even brother and sister marry. We shall keep our mouths shut.

By the way, according to my knowledge Abhimanyu married Uttara, the daughter of King Virata. Did he have another wife? I do not know. Brahma’s wife Saraswati was his daughter. What to do? The poor fellow was the Creator of the whole World. Who can create a wife for Him, except himself?