Fearing Riots, Authorities Of Dadri Refuse To Issue Marriage Certificate For A Hindu-Muslim Couple

In India, religion still plays a significant influence over the society. Marriages, relationships often are considered as taboo if they happen out of same religion or faith.

Dadri, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, witnessed the notoriety of mob action last year when a man called Mohammed Akhlaq was lynched to death for rumours of him eating beef. Fearing a resurgence of such incident the officials in the area are refusing to make a Hindu-Muslim marriage registered even after a passage of six months.

Though Manjeet Bhati (24) and Slama (20) married six months ago, but the marriage registrars not registering their marriage because it might spark religious riots.

India Today had reported that Salma, who later changed her name to Sapna Arya after adopting Hinduism, fled with Manjeet from Chitehra village, Dadri on October 19 last year and they both got married at an Arya Samaj temple.

Over the last five months they have visited government offices for quite a lot of times, but they have not received any support. The marriage registrar had refused several times and had also demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000.

Over years the country have witnessed many instances of religious harmony, where Hindus and Muslims have co-exist peacefully. But the recent reports again throw the light on the religious discord that may be on resurgence. Is this what India is converting into, where inter-caste or inter-religious marriages are not being given approval fearing of communal unrest?