Guj: Patidar outfits want consent of one parent for love marriage registration of community girls

Members of the Patidar community in Gujarat on Wednesday demanded that the signature of at least one parent be made mandatory for the registration of a marriage if a girl from the community ties the knot with the man of her choice without the consent of her mother and father.This, they said, will prevent the cases of Love Jihad and the instances in which girls from the community are targeted for the property owned by their families.

Members of the Patidar community in Gujarat on Wednesday demanded that the signature of at least one parent be made mandatory for the registration of a marriage if a girl from the community ties the knot with the man of her choice without the consent of her mother and father.

This, they said, will prevent the cases of ''Love Jihad'' and the instances in which girls from the community are targeted for the property owned by their families. ''A delegation of Patidar community will make a representation to the state government to add a provision in the existing Hindu Marriage Act,'' said R P Patel, president of Vishva Umiya Dham, a prominent Patidar organisation.

He is also the convener of Patidar Organisation Co-ordination Committee, an umbrella organisation of 18 different Patidar bodies, such as Khodaldham and Samast Patidar Samaj.

The decision to make a representation to the government in this regard was taken on Wednesday during a meeting of these 18 Patidar bodies at the Vishva Umiya Dham campus near Ahmedabad.

''The Patidar community is upset because our girls choose their life partner without informing parents and get married by arranging two witnesses. Many a time, our girls are under pressure and instances of 'Love Jihad' also happened in the past. Our girls are also targeted for the properties owned by their parents,'' Patel told reporters after the meeting.

''Thus, the committee has decided to make a representation to the state government in this regard. We want that marriage registration in such cases must not be done without the signature of at least one parent as the witness. We want the government to add this rule in the Hindu Marriage Act,'' Patel said.

Some other issues, which were discussed in the meeting, included the problems faced by the community's youth in getting loans from Gujarat State Commission for Unreserved Classes because of management issues, he added. ''The committee also decided to make a representation to the government for the withdrawal of cases lodged against Patidar youths during quota stir,'' Patel said.