There is a lot of talk about 'love jihad' these days. In fact, the Uttar Pradesh government has approved an ordinance against love jihad, providing for long jail sentences as well as heavy fines.
Whatever the term may mean, I submit that love jihad is only a gimmick, intended to divert public attention from the steep decline in India's economy recently, record unemployment, rise in child malnourishment, steep rise in prices of foodstuffs and fuel, continuing farmers distress, corruption and other problems.
A hue and cry has been created that young Hindu girls are being deceived, enticed and forcibly converted for marriage. There may be a few such instances, but almost all inter-religious marriages are voluntary love marriages. Also, no data is given of Muslim girls marrying Hindu boys.
I need not go into the legal validity of such love jihad marriages (a recent division bench decision of the Allahabad High Court had held inter-religious marriages valid). But how many such love jihad marriages take place? In India's population of 1,350 million, one can count them on one's fingertips. So it is not that hordes of Hindu girls are tying the knot with Muslim boys and threatening to change India's demography and make it a Muslim majority country, as it is portrayed by some people.
The real issues before the country are widespread poverty, record and rising unemployment, a sinking economy, appalling child malnourishment, sky-rocketing prices of food and fuel, almost total lack of proper healthcare and good education for the masses, continuing farmers' distress, corruption and so forth. Since the government has no idea how to resolve these problems, it must resort to gimmicks and stunts. Love jihad is the latest gimmick (earlier ones being Yoga Day, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, abrogation of Article 370 etc.), and it has the advantage of further polarising society on religious lines, which admirably serves some vested interests.
The Roman emperors used to say "If you cannot give the people bread, give them circuses", and Queen Marie Antoinette of France said "If the people do not have bread, let them eat cake". Our own emperors say "Since we cannot give the people bread or employment, we are giving them love jihad.”
Justice Markandey Katju retired from the Supreme Court in 2011
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK
