The Tribune – marriage act row; Jathedar does a volte-face; Now, supports changes being made in marriage Act

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 17. Taking a U-turn on the issue of a separate Sikh marriage Act, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh today said the amendments being made in the Anand Marriage Act 1909 to facilitate registration of Sikh marriages were “absolutely legitimate”.

Addressing mediapersons to clear the air on the issue today, the Jathedar said the Anand Marriage Amendment Bill 2012 should be passed in Parliament and subsequently implemented at the earliest. He also appreciated the measures taken by various Sikh leaders and organisations for getting the Bill to this stage.

He attributed his support for the amendments in the Act to the fact that “a majority of Sikhs feel that these should be passed in Parliament”. He said an expert panel constituted by the SGPC had also voiced its full support to these amendments. He said all the Sikh leaders should rise above party lines to ensure that these are passed. He said a committee comprising Sikh intellectuals and legal experts would be set up if need of any further amendments was felt in future.

The Jathedar clarified that he had also opposed the proposed move of sending the draft of a complete Sikh marriage Act prepared by Khalsa College principal Dr Daljeet Singh directly to the Prime Minister while contending that any such draft should be routed through the SGPC. He said earlier too, a few drafts of the ‘Sikh Personal Law’ were prepared and if more amendments were needed in future, all these drafts will be utilised suitably. On the issue of divorce, he said the Sikh ‘rehat maryada’ (code of conduct) did not allow divorce, though re-marriage may take place under special circumstances.

Asked whether the Sikh clergy would consider changing ‘rehat maryada’, he said only the “Sarbat Khalsa” could do it. The change in the Jathedar’s stand came after SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar met him in Ludhiana yesterday. The duo later even issued a joint statement supporting the amendments in the Act.

Earlier, the Jathedar had rejected these amendments when he wondered as to how Parliament could pass it without the consent of Sikhs while talking to the media after a seminar organised by Chief Khalsa Diwan on Tuesday.

Though the SGPC and DSGMC took a conflicting stand on the issue, the move was hailed by outfits like Dal Khalsa and American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120518/punjab.htm#5

The Tribune – SGPC, DSGMC differ with Akal Takht on ‘complete marriage Act’; Say amendments in Anand Marriage Act 1909 be allowed to be passed

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 16. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh’s move to support a complete Sikh marriage Act has sparked a major controversy with the SGPC, DSGMC and Sikh intellectuals taking a conflicting stand. They said amendments being made in the Anand Marriage Act 1909 should be allowed to be passed while a complete Act could follow later. However, the Jathedar has also found support from a section of the Sikh community.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said: “We ourselves have passed a resolution demanding it in the SGPC general house. Now, how can we say that we don’t want it?” He said first these amendments should be allowed to be passed while the rest of the issues may be addressed later. Makkar is likely to hold a meeting with the Jathedar soon to discuss the issue.

DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna also said the amendments should be allowed to be passed. “We have fought a long battle for it and after reaching this stage we cannot let it go,” he said. Sarna said if the community faced any problem later, the SGPC and the DSGMC can jointly form a committee of experts to pursue further amendments.

Former Rajya Sabha MP Tarlochan Singh, who played a key role in pushing these amendments, said, “It will be a major achievement and nobody should try to scuttle it at this stage. Those advocating a complete Act should have raised their voice earlier.”

Sikh intellectual Balkar Singh said the Jathedar had created confusion among the community by “speaking on the issue without giving it a thought”. He said only the political class stands to benefit if the amendments in the Anand Marriage Act 1909 were stopped. He said the amendments will pave the way for the recognition of Sikhs as a separate community and the issue of a complete marriage Act can be negotiated at a later stage.

Noted Sikh scholar Bhai Ashok Singh Bagrian said the community should let these amendments take place as it was achieving the purpose of establishment of separate identity of Sikhs. He said the Sikhs have long been demanding these amendments and nobody talked about divorce during this period. He also dubbed the Jathedar’s move as a “step in haste”.

Supreme Court lawyer H S Phoolka said the entire Sikh community had been demanding these amendments for the last seven to eight years. He said the “somersault made by the Akal Takht Jathedar will make a mockery of Sikhs in Parliament”.

“Everyone wants registration of Sikh marriages under a separate Act and these amendments are serving the purpose. Putting these amendments in jeopardy for a complete Act is not a wise decision,” he said.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120517/punjab.htm#2

Anand Marriage Bill 2012

These two files have been mailed to me by Gursev Singh (Amsterdam, the Netherlands).
I do not know whether they contain the full bill or not.
If you have problems reading the files please download them or send me an email and I will forward them to you as attachments.

 

Signed by Tralochan Singh ex MP