Kashmir’s Muslim bodies condemn ‘forced’ interfaith marriage
The Hindu
Support family of Sikh girl who was married to an elderly Muslim man
Kashmir-based religious bodies on Monday expressed their support to the Sikh community, a day after the community leaders alleged that a girl was forced to marry a Muslim man and converted to Islam. “Sikh brethren are a part and parcel of Kashmir’s society. There is no place for forcible conversion in Islam and reports of forcible conversion of Sikh girl to other religion on a gun-point can never be considered as a conversion in Islamic jurisprudence,” J&K’s grand mufti Nasir-ul-Islam said. He urged an impartial inquiry into the matter. “Kashmir is known for maintaining communal harmony for years together and Sikhs are important part of Kashmir’s age-old culture, ethos and communal brotherhood. No one will be allowed to play with the faith of Sikh brethren,” Mr. Islam said.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.