Only registered ‘qazis’ can solemnise marriage

Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Waqf Board has drafted a new nikahnama aligned with the provisions of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), under which only registered ‘qazis’ or ‘maulanas’ will be authorised to solemnise marriages.

The soon-to-be-introduced draft is expected to curb instances of religious conversion solely for the purpose of marriage, Chairman of the Uttarakhand Waqf Board, Shadab Shams, told PTI.

He said the new contract aims to fix accountability for all parties involved to prevent any form of injustice and if one of the partners belongs to a different faith, the marriage could be solemnised under the Special Marriage Act without pressuring the individual to convert.

Shams explained that ‘maulanas’ would be assigned a unique identification number (UID) through the management committees of mosques, madrasas and other religious institutions under the Waqf Board. Only such authorised persons would be permitted to conduct the marriage ceremony.

“This will yield two benefits: first, the identity of the ‘qazi’ solemnising the nikah (marriage) will be known; and second, it will help curb alleged ‘love jihad’ cases where individuals from other faiths such as Hindu or Sikh undergo religious conversion and name changes to get married,” he said.

The state Waqf Board chief said the new draft is nearly complete and a meeting has been convened for September 9 to discuss it.

In addition to Waqf Board members, the meeting will be attended by the state’s Minority Welfare Minister Khajan Das, Special Secretary of the Minority Welfare Department Parag Madhukar Dhakate, and three members of the UCC drafting committee.

He said that the consent of ‘Ulema’ (Muslim religious scholars) would also be sought regarding the draft. He added that the document would be issued only after consultations at all levels and a thorough legal review to ensure there are no challenges during its implementation.

Shams said that a proposal to draft a new nikahnama (marriage contract) in accordance with the UCC law was passed during a Waqf Board meeting four months ago. The UCC came into effect in the state on January 25, 2025.

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