Criticising the judiciary's stand in the Hadiya issue as highly conservative and patriarchal, Poet K.Satchidanandan said that its decision to annul her marriage, carried out as per her own wishes, is unconstituional. He was delivering the keynote address at a protest meeting organised by the Solidarity Youth Movement on Friday, demanding justice for Hadiya, a homoeopathy graduate who had converted to Islam and whose marriage to a Muslim was annulled by the Kerala High Court.
"There is one thing Hadiya has constitently maintained, whether in the High Court, or in conversations to those who were allowed to talk to her - that she was not forcibly converted. It was a decision that she had taken on her own volition. She has also made it clear that she feels that she is in a kind of imprisonment in her parents' home. The Court has infantalised her, an adult woman, as someone who is vulnerable to influence and as someone unable to think for hersel.f These are things that should not have happened in a democratic society," said the poet.
He said that the Supreme Court's refusal to hear her and its decision to hand over the case to the National Investigation Agency to inquire whether it is a case of 'love jihad', reveals its predjudiced approach.
To him, love jihad is a myth
"The courts have already proven that love jihad is a myth, which was created due to hatred of Muslims. Marriages beyond the borders of religion show that we are moving ahead as a society. Why is it that it is called 'love jihad' when Muslim men marry women from other religions? Why not 'love crusade' for Christian men marrying women from other religions? It is clear that attempts are made to convert normal happenings are being converted into huge issues by some people to reap benefits from it," said the poet.
He said that questions should be asked of the family structures and its ingrained violence, which tramples upon the rights of even adult citizens.
"We should ask whether parents are ready to accept their children as citizens having free will, at least when they grow up. Are parents ready to accept their freedom? They should realise that they don't own their children. Unfortunately in this case, Hadiya's father has taken such a stand," he said.
E.T.Mohammed Basheer, MP, said that the society should discuss why Hadiya is not being allowed to talk to the public.
"She is not allowed to move out of her parents' home. She is not allowed to talk to anyone, or even to the media. How can the freedom of expression enshrined in the Constitution be denied to a citizen? What is the problem is she speaks out? This is a question not just about Hadiya, but something which affects each citizen," he said.
He said that there are several unanswered questions in the judiciary's stand on the issue, especially on how the court decided that this adult woman is someone who is vulnerable and as someone who can be easily influenced.
