Humanitarian marriage

Indian marriage laws have been, for years, carrying the load of what the religious preachers advocated, in one way or the other. Even a Baha’i faith marriage has ceremonious obligations attached. One Act distinguishes itself to a great degree and is one of the most rational piece of law. That is – the Special Marriage Act 1954. It does not only promote inter-religion marriages but also clearly tells apart the legal principles from the so called ethical norms that generally govern the marriage laws in India. This law, without a doubt trashes the Overlap Legal Theory of Blackstone which says that law and moralities (of course, so called) go hand in hand, and which has attracted the Asian legislatures for long. In fact, the Act looks inspired by the approval of Max Weber’s Interactionism by the post-independent Indian society. The Act does not only give a platform to the non-religious to marry without bowing down to the stupid religious rituals but also gives them a formal and an automatic tool to denounce their religion when it says that – The marriage solemnized under this Act of any member of an undivided family who professes the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh or Jaina religion shall be deemed to effect his severance from such family. Bravo! Happily live the people who marry this way…or …who at least recognize, appreciate and encourage the way. The rest…nothing to worry…they have their religions to save their sacred knot ..or …knots.