Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 28: The District Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (DGPC) Jammu, led by its vice president, Balvinder Singh, along with secretary Surjeet Singh, Harjit Singh Incharge Dharam Prachar DGPC Jammu, and Avtar Singh Member DGPC Jammu, called on Secretary to Government, Department of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs, Achal Sethi, to discuss concerns regarding the implementation of the Anand Marriage Act in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir.
During the meeting, the DGPC highlighted several deficiencies in the current draft of the Anand Marriage Act, particularly the excessive fees and penalties imposed for marriage registration. Presently, Sikh marriages are being registered under the Hindu Marriage Act free of charge. However, the new rules notified by the JKUT administration vide S.O 597, dated November 30, 2023, introduce an initial court stamp fee of Rs 1500 for registration and impose severe penalty clauses. The DGPC finds these new regulations highly objectionable and discriminatory.
For comparison, under the Ladakh Anand Marriage Act, Section 6(1) of Chapter II, a basic fee of Rs. 500 is charged for submitting a memorandum for marriage registration, with no penalties for delayed submissions post-solemnization. Conversely, the JKUT Anand Marriage Act mandates a basic fee of Rs 1500 in the form of court fee stamps and imposes additional penalties like- Rs 2000 penalty for submissions after three months but within six months post-solemnization; Rs 3000 penalty for submissions after six months but within one year post-solemnization and Rs 5000 penalty for submissions after one year post-solemnization.
The DGPC urged the Secretary to intervene and remove these financial barriers, advocating for Sikh marriages under the Anand Marriage Act to be registered free of cost, similar to provisions under the Hindu Marriage Act and Special Marriage Act. Additionally, they recommended amendments to mandate the registration of Sikh marriages exclusively under the Anand Marriage Act to preserve the distinct cultural identity of the Sikh community.
The delegation further requested the Secretary to expedite these amendments and implement them without further delay, emphasizing the urgency and sensitivity of their concerns. The Secretary assured the delegation that he will initiate the process to rectify the highlighted objectionable penalty clauses and confirmed that the Anand Marriage Act shall be implemented soon after the necessary amendments are made.
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