Anand Marriage Act will be implemented in Punjab: CM

Though the Act was notified in 2016, there is hardly any awareness about it in Punjab. Several other states have implemented this Act but we have lagged behind. Now, it will be implemented here as well,” Mann said

Patiala: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced that the Anand Marriage Act, 2016, will be implemented in true letter and spirit for Sikhs to register their marriages in the state.

Bhagwant Mann with his wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur.

Mann, accompanied by wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur, made the announcement after paying obeisance at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib on the occasion of the Parkash Purb of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak.

“Though the Act was notified in 2016, there is hardly any awareness about it in Punjab. Several other states have implemented this Act but we have lagged behind. Now, it will be implemented here as well,” Mann said.

Twenty-two states, including Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan and Delhi, have implemented the Act but it has not been implemented in right earnest despite the notification issued six years ago, he said.

The CM said the government will take steps to generate awareness about the Act.

Mann prayed for peace, progress and prosperity of the border state and greeted people on the auspicious occasion. “Guru Nanak Dev ji was a great spiritual ambassador who guided humanity to attain salvation through devotion to God. His teachings of ‘Kirat karo, naam japo and vand chako’ are relevant in today’s materialistic society,” he said.

In the backdrop of air pollution due to farm fires, the CM reminded people of the teaching of ‘Pawan Guru, paani pitaah, mata dharat mahat’ from the Gurbani, where the Guru equated air (pawan) with teacher, water (paani) with father and land (dharat) with mother. He called for steps to protect the environment.

Know the Act

Though the Anand Marriage Act was enacted in 1909, there was no provision for registration of marriages and Sikhs were made to register their marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955.

In 2012, Parliament passed the Anand Marriage (Amendment) Bill, during the tenure of Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. The Bill, passed in the budget session had also received the then President Pratibha Patil’s assent on June 7 that year, paving the way for Sikhs to register their marriages under the Anand Marriage Act instead of the Hindu Marriage Act.

The Anand Marriage Act seeks to give statutory recognition to marriage rites of the Sikhs. Thus, any marriage performed according to the ‘Anand’ ceremony is valid with effect from the date of its solemnisation.

In Punjab, the Act was notified in 2016 but was not implemented due to lack of awareness.

Senior Punjab and Haryana high court lawyer RS Bains said according to his interpretation, any person who has faith in Sikhism can register under the Anand Marriage Act.