Despite routine target killings and instances of ethnic cleansing, there are many other ways in which we are making our country’s minorities suffer. The devil is in the detail and can be seen when we closely scrutinise the ‘rights’ we have granted our religious minorities. Let us start with the draft bills that have finally been prepared by legislators to amend the Christian Marriage Act 1872 and Divorce Act 1869, although they have yet to be passed. First of all, one cannot help but comment that it is about time lawmakers are looking into the trials and tribulations faced by the country’s Christian community when it comes to the simple act of getting married. As can be seen by the dates, these are colonial acts and should have been amended decades ago. According to the Divorce Act, a husband can only seek divorce if he accuses his wife of adultery; as can be guessed such an outdated law stipulates that all manner of lies and deceit may be employed to seek a divorce. In the same vein, solemnisation of Christian marriages can only take place if the Roman Catholic Church, Church of England and Church of Scotland play a role. This creates difficulties having marriages registered at the Union Council level making it impossible for them to get the rights associated with recognised marriage.
Imagine the misery they go through when married women in their community cannot get national identity cards with their husband’s name on them. Imagine the trouble they face when they need to attain a divorce. Hindus have it far worse: no law exists for their marriages to be registered and recognised. Even if they do get married, there is no proof. This anomaly makes it very easy for forced conversions to take place as has been happening with young Hindu women who, despite being married, are kidnapped and forcefully converted to Islam by their captors. In a court of law these poor women cannot prove their marriages and cannot reconvert because that would be considered apostasy. There is no end to the sufferings minorities are subjected to.
The job quota system has woefully underrepresented the minorities. Quota numbers are abysmally low and even the law for these seats is not implemented. This results in our minorities languishing in unemployment and not given the opportunities they are due. In addition to this gross negligence by the state, minorities are routinely subjected to terror attacks and a slow, steady genocide; the Ahmedis, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus are frequently killed for their faith. Our sensitivity to their needs is astoundingly low and the rights a nation state should offer its most vulnerable are close to non-existent. Is this our legacy?
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