By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: In a shocking incident on Valentine’s Day, Hindutva moral police forcibly married off siblings as they mistook them to be ‘couple.’
Bajrang Dal, Durga Vahini and Vishwa Hindu Parishad after giving a warning to the couples in Hyderabad against indulging in ‘western and immoral’ culture, made sure that their cadres went on rampage literally on Valentine’s day taking out rally’s near lovers point across the city.
Hyderabad police was forced to shut down all the gardens and parks in the city fearing any attack on couples or any untoward situation from Right wing hooligans. These groups before Valentine’s Day issued warning to couples that if they were seen together around streets or parks they will force to get married according to Hindu tradition.
But the moral policing drive to catch unmarried couples and forcefully solemnizing their marriage by Bajrang Dal and VHP became impediment on their own head, when one of those couples which those groups arranged marriage turned out to be brother and sister.
Rajesh and Gautami were first cousins roaming around a park at Kaushaiguda area of Hyderabad; when right wing moral police got hold of them and forcefully solemnized their marriage at nearby Sai Baba temple. Interestingly those siblings didn’t reveal their relationship to Hindu group activists.
Later when the parents of those cousin siblings got to know about their unholy marriage, they registered a complaint against Bajrang Dal activists in the police station. It also turned out that Gautami was still a minor. While right wing activists maintained that it is not their fault as couples didn’t reveal the same while their forceful marriage was arranged.
According to Hindu Dharmashastra and Mithakshara Hindu law of south India marriage of near siblings like first cousin is immoral and unlawful.
But it was not the first time Bajrang Dal has chased siblings. In 2009 at Ujjain Madhya Pradesh, brother and sister was beaten up badly by Right wing goons when they were travelling on their bike at near their college.
In Hyderabad and its outskirts on Valentine’s Day Bajrang Dal, Durga Vahini and VHP activists rounded up four couples and forcefully solemnized their wedding.
Many feminists and social activists condemned Hyderabad police of failing to protect couples during Valentine’s Day, and on succumbing to the right wing pressure to close down all the parks for the day.
Many Hindu religious leaders and general public were also disturbed by the acts of right wing Hindu groups of forcefully marrying of couples as in Hindu religion marriage is not a mere contract it is a special religious bonding.
Meanwhile Muslim groups were not far behind in moral and religious policing, activists of Muslim Girls Association, and Girls Islamic organization toured parks and coffee houses to catch Muslim couples or girls in Hijab.
Muslim groups though didn’t forcefully formalize any Nikah, but they distributed books on Islamic principles of chastity and given them lectures on same.
Last year on Valentine’s Day, GIO roamed around lovers points along with Urdu media to catch Muslim youngsters and day after those poor couples became headlines. This must have scared Muslim couples who were not as visible as last year.