It has been reported that the Karnataka High Court, while considering a complaint from a parent whose daughter is involved in an inter faith relationship, has asked the government to investigate the practice described as “love Jihad.” In this respect, I have the following comments to offer. Love marriage, inter faith marriages and love jihad through which young and little informed girls from loving families become targets of mischievous and nefarious religious zealots. The law allows girls of ages 18 and above to make decisions on their own as they have reached the legal age to make those decisions. In India or in any part of the world children don’t reach the maturity level to make informed decisions in matters of complicated family law and inter faith relationships. During the ages between sixteen and twenty, people make most of the decisions of family based on their perspective of insecurity, the ability of their family to marry them of to a good groom and their raging hormones, which, at that period of their age, their brain is not able to supress. Physical characteristics of the groom are also an important factor. Young men with a mix of North Central Asian or Western gene have complexion which receive prejudiced attention in India. There is so much prejudice not only in politics, but also in every aspect of the Indian mind. The first thing the parents of anyone ask when they negotiate wedding is if the bride or groom has a “fair complexion.” This “fair complexion” is so deeply rooted in the mind, that it can never be changed.

In Hindu religion children grow accepting and adhering to complex value systems. Accordingly, from their formative years, they respect the concept of “one wife” or “one husband,” family planning, respect for societal values, respect for the culture, traditions and value systems developed over thousands of years. These value systems ensure that when a young man marries a young woman, she is fairly well assured that that man will be “her man” for all her life, he will take care of her and her progeny. To a great extent this assures a certain level of freedom for the young woman throughout her life. On the contrary, in other religions, especially in the West Asian religions, such concepts don’t occur. Woman are treated as if they are “a dime a dozen.” No one questions a man’s right to have as many women as he chooses. In Hyderabad for instance, many Arabs make frequent trips to marry adolescent and young women, consummate physical relations, pay them some money and take off by the next flight. Neither the parents of the girls nor the girls themselves have complaint because, they get paid well. Getting paid well depends upon their economic and social status. Government does not get involved in this legalized prostitution approved by “Religion, God and the Vote Bank.” The wealth of the oil money is so powerful that if anyone questioned the practice is targeted for physical violence and murder, against which the governments have no remedy or will to pursue.

This wretched practice has not only ruined children and families of various Hindu families, but also of families who practice other religious faith. For example one can read letters to the editor of various magazines through which women of various faith complain of their having succumbed to polygamous relationships. The case in which celebrated and highly qualified author from a highly educated family went through four marriages, ill treated and disgusted with life with polygamous men is relevant in this instance. So unless the law for inter faith marriage is changed from the age of 18 to at least 24 to uneducated women, and from age 18 to 21 for educated women, there can be no effective measure to control “love jihad.” Besides, there must be rules to prevent women from disappearing. This should not be seen as a criticism of the practices followed by certain religious groups because the texts religious group follows have some valuable instructions to treat women with love, dignity and respect. I honestly do not believe that “love jihad” is part of the religious teachings of any religion. One can read numerous articles on the Internet about some men in America having more than half a dozen women at the same time. The government does not interfere unless there is a complaint from the woman.

When a woman disappears from social vicinity for 24 hours, it must be mandatory for their parents, people legally protecting them or the women themselves to inform public authorities, of their whereabouts. Neighbors also have a role in protecting each other. If woman chose to perform inter faith marriage and change their religious status, they must be required to register their intentions with the local police. As a part of such decision, they must be made to take a test of their awareness of the differences that exist in the philosophy and practices between religious faiths. If they are uneducated and take such a test, they may be examined by certified Social Welfare professionals who should be available at each Panchayats. Girls who seek inter faith marriages must also furnish fool proof letters of parental acceptance obtained at the time of registration of such decisions. This is very essential because we raise our children teaching them value systems to ensure prosperity in their social and material life and are helpless when they come into contact with some dicks, who have various nefarious motivations, in schools, colleges, work places or in similar social settings. Such drastic changes in social practices will of course be unacceptable to the vote bank dependent and controlled Congress Party and meet with stiff resistance, but we have to at least make an effort.