Muslim community elders have demand state government and police officials to take serious action against people indulging in facilitating contract marriages of poor girls from Old City with foreign nationals. The religious leaders have also condemned the rising number of such marriages in the city and held the constitutional agencies responsible for such incidents.
The recent incident, in which an Omani national went into contract marriage with a minor girl in the city, was facilitated by a local Qazi and travel agent. Generally, these agents lure foreign nationals by offering brides from poor families that too for a certain period and earn huge money from them. The agents also convince the poor parents by promising them huge remuneration before performing ‘Nikah’ for avoiding legal glitches.
Lack of check on such marriages is leading to contract marriages, thus exploitation of the young and poor girls in the city. Tameer-e-Millat Secretary Maulana Abdul Raheem Qureshi said that the root cause of these incidents was greed for quick money. He said that the government should take pro-active role in curbing the activities of middlemen and Qazis who perform such marriages. He lamented, “the middlemen and irresponsible Qazis are responsible for exploitation of poor families in the name of marriages.”
They have made the institution of marriage a joke and tool of exploitation. It is a matter of serious concern that despite of strict laws people who facilitate go undetected, he added. In the past, people from West Asian countries used to marry women from Hyderabad and provided them a graceful life in their respective countries. However, for past ten to fifteen years it has been seen that marriages of city women have become a mere ‘business deal’ he observed.
As per the existing laws, foreign nationals marrying local women must inform the government authorities and possess permission from their respective governments. Since they do not possess any document, they prefer to contact middlemen for ‘contract marriages’. Noted Islamic scholar Mufti Sadiq Mohiuddin observed that such incidents of exploitation were occurring frequently due to lack of proper implementation of laws that have been formulated to keep a check on such marriages.
He said, “Laws and regulations must be implemented strictly and then only we can expect to save people from being exploited by opportunists in the community.” He advised the community members not to fall prey to the allurements of middlemen.On the other hand police officials say that they have taken all possible steps to stop these kinds of incidents in the city.
DCP South Zone V Satyanarayana said that police officials have even booked Qazis under the PD Act and opened history sheets, but in vain. He however said, “There has been a fear among middlemen and people indulging in fake marriage. The menace has not been completely controlled. Educating poor families and young girls is the need of the hour.”
Lack of check on such marriages is leading to contract marriages, thus exploitation of the young and poor girls in the city. Tameer-e-Millat Secretary Maulana Abdul Raheem Qureshi said that the root cause of these incidents was greed for quick money. He said that the government should take pro-active role in curbing the activities of middlemen and Qazis who perform such marriages. He lamented, “the middlemen and irresponsible Qazis are responsible for exploitation of poor families in the name of marriages.”
They have made the institution of marriage a joke and tool of exploitation. It is a matter of serious concern that despite of strict laws people who facilitate go undetected, he added. In the past, people from West Asian countries used to marry women from Hyderabad and provided them a graceful life in their respective countries. However, for past ten to fifteen years it has been seen that marriages of city women have become a mere ‘business deal’ he observed.
As per the existing laws, foreign nationals marrying local women must inform the government authorities and possess permission from their respective governments. Since they do not possess any document, they prefer to contact middlemen for ‘contract marriages’. Noted Islamic scholar Mufti Sadiq Mohiuddin observed that such incidents of exploitation were occurring frequently due to lack of proper implementation of laws that have been formulated to keep a check on such marriages.
He said, “Laws and regulations must be implemented strictly and then only we can expect to save people from being exploited by opportunists in the community.” He advised the community members not to fall prey to the allurements of middlemen.On the other hand police officials say that they have taken all possible steps to stop these kinds of incidents in the city.
DCP South Zone V Satyanarayana said that police officials have even booked Qazis under the PD Act and opened history sheets, but in vain. He however said, “There has been a fear among middlemen and people indulging in fake marriage. The menace has not been completely controlled. Educating poor families and young girls is the need of the hour.”
