Indian politicians want parents to sign off on love marriages

India’s politicians are exploring a system that will require mandatory parental consent for love marriages.

Love marriage is a widely prevalent concept in India in which individuals choose their partners by their own choice, they love each other and get married with or without the consent of their parents.

This is in contrast to an arranged marriage in which the parents or older family members search for prospective life partners for their children through their social circles or community by hiring a local matchmaker or by advertising on newspapers and matrimonial portals online.

Arranged marriages had usually been the norm in India and the phenomenon of love marriages is a relatively newer occurrence in the country as younger generations of people now prefer to seek partners on their own.

The chief minister of western Gujarat state, Bhupendra Patel, announced his government will look into implementing a system that makes parental approval mandatory for love marriages. Gujarat is prime minister Narendra Modi’s home state and he has served as its chief minister earlier.

The politician is reportedly studying the possibility of the system and whether it is in line with constitutional provisions.

According to local media outlets, the proposal comes in response to demands from an influential community from the state, called the Patidars.

During an event organised by the Sardar Patel Group in Mehsana on Sunday (31 July), Mr Patel reportedly shared insights from his conversation with his health minister Rushikesh Patel.

“While coming here, [Rushikesh] Patel told me that we should relook the occurrences of girls eloping, and carry out a comprehensive study with an aim to make parental consent mandatory for love marriages,” he said.

“If the Constitution supports it, we will carry out a study and try to achieve the best possible outcome,” Mr Bhupendra said.

The Gujarat chief minister also received support from a local lawmaker of the opposition Congress party, Imran Khedawala, on the issue.

“At a time when parents are neglected in love marriages, the government is thinking of creating a specific system regarding love marriages that is constitutionally feasible,” Mr Khedawala said.

“The CM has assured to get a study conducted on mandatory parental approval in love marriages.

“The chief minister has spoken about this. If the government brings such law in the assembly session, then my support is with the government.”

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Earlier this year, local Gujarat lawmaker Fatehsinh Chauhan linked love marriages to crimes and claimed making parental approval mandatory would reduce crime rates in the state.

In March this year, The Times of India quoted Mr Chauhan as saying that “marriages solemnised without the consent of parents add to the crime rate in the state and if such marriages are registered with the consent of parents, the crime rate would come down by 50 per cent”.

“Court marriages are registered not in the respective area but other districts,” he said.

“The boy and girls hide their documents and marry in other districts and later either the girl suffers, or the parents have to commit suicide.

“Parents who are busy because of their professions cannot take care of their girls and hence anti-socials take advantage of this and elope with girls.”