Proposal regarding Buddhists Marriage Act undergoes finalisation

The Maharashtra government has prepared a draft of the proposed Buddhists Marriage Act 2017 that proposes the processes to be followed by the community during their wedding ceremony with traditional rituals. The social justice department has formed a five-member executive committee under Dinesh Waghmare, principal secretary (social justice), to finalise the draft of proposed Boudha (Buddhists) Marriage Act 2017.

The draft, however, makes no mention of aspects like divorce, maintenance or property issues and does not have clear guidelines on inter-caste marriages. A senior official from the social justice department said the government had published the draft on its official website, but the response elicited was "very poor".

The state government on Tuesday issued a government resolution, appointing the executive committee under the principal secretary to study, to take a review and finalise the draft before convert into an act. A committee led by C L Thool, former judge and chairperson of the state Schedule Caste (SC) and Schedule Tribe (ST) Commission, has made the draft.

The community had been demanding separate legislation related to marriage since 1957 after Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar converted to Buddhism on October 14, 1956, at Dikshabhoomi in Nagpur.

(With inputs from agencies.)