PATIALA: The member parliament Tarlochan Singh demanded the early introduction of Anand Marriage act in the parliament in its ongoing budget session.

Talking to reporters he said that since the standing committee of parliament has already cleared the proposed bill and now it was UPA government to introduce it in parliament.

He said that the long-pending demand of the Sikhs to register their marriages under the Anand Marriage Act, 1909, would be met soon if UPA government will act according to his suggestion of amending the Act.

The Supreme Court in its judgement in February 2006 directed that marriages of all persons, who are citizens of India belonging to various religions, should be made compulsorily registrable in their respective states, said Tarlochan Singh.

Tarlochan Singh however hopeful that the government will amend the Anand Marriage Act to facilitate the registration of marriages in the Sikh community.

He said this demand had been pending for nearly six decades and called for appropriate changes as well as duly incorporating the registration clause in the Act, permitting the registration of marriages in the Sikhs all over the country.

The Constitution of India recognized separate status for the Sikh religion. Whatever anomaly is there in Section 25, the Constitution Review Committee of parliament has already proposed that such anomaly should be removed and the Sikhs should be given the separate status and recognition. 

Tarlochan Singh recalled that all Sikh MPs and the SGPC had appealed to the UPA government to permit the Sikh community to register the marriages under the Act. This demand also found favour with the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice headed by E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan.

The standing committee unanimously recommended that the Centre should come forward with a simple amendment to the marriage Act.

The Anand Marriage Act, which was passed by British Government back in 1909.

This act is not implemented in India and all Sikhs even though marry as per their Anand Kaaraj Custom which is 4 Laavaa around Shree Guru Granth Saaheb, if want to get a certificate that a marriage has been performed are forced to get a certificate that a marriage has been performed as per Hndu Marriage Act. It is pertinent to mention that Hindus's custom of marriage as per Hndu Marriage Act, is to get 7 Laavaa around their 'Fire' 'Agnee' devtaa.

The neighboring country has already implement Anand marriage act for Sikhs living in Pakistan for registration of their marriages.