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Punjab: Anand Marriage Act extended to Sikkim
In September last year, the Supreme Court directed several states and Union territories to notify within four months the rules for registering ‘Anand Karaj’.
The President has extended the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, to Sikkim for registration of Sikh wedding ceremony ‘Anand Karaj’ with some “modifications”, according to a government notification issued on Wednesday.
In September last year, the Supreme Court directed several states and Union territories to notify within four months the rules for registering ‘Anand Karaj’.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (n) of article 371F of the Constitution, the President hereby extends the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 (7 of 1909) to the state of Sikkim,” the President’s order, notified on Wednesday, said.
It said the provisions of the Act shall come into force in the state on dates notified by the Central government in the official gazette.
“Provided that different dates may be appointed for different provisions of the Act and for different areas in Sikkim, and any reference in any such provision to the commencement of the said Act shall be construed as a reference to the coming into force of that provision in the area where it has been brought into force,” the notification said.
“Any reference in the Act to a law not in force, or to a functionary not in existence in Sikkim shall be construed as a reference to the corresponding law in force, or to the corresponding functionary in existence in that state provided that if any question arises as to who such corresponding functionary is, or if there is no such corresponding functionary, the central government shall decide who shall be such functionary and the decision of the central government in that regard shall be final.”While disposing of the plea, an apex court bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta last year directed the Centre to consider and place within four months before the competent authority a proposal for extension of the Act to Sikkim with restrictions or modifications as may be warranted.
The top court had passed the order on a plea seeking directions to various states and Union Territories to frame and notify rules under Section 6 of the Anand Marriage Act, 1909 (as amended in 2012) to facilitate registration of marriages solemnised by the Sikh rite commonly known as “Anand Karaj”.
