For them, Tina Dabi’s Constitutionally Guaranteed Freedom to Choose a Life Partner is Love Jehad says Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha
IAS Topper, Tina Dabi, who broke multiple glass ceilings to receive accolades in a male world is facing the ire of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha: her decision to marry her colleague , IAS second topper, Athar Aamil-ul Shafi has attracted an offensive allegation of this being a case of ‘love jehad.’
Typically, this retrograde patriarchial outfit has penned a letter to her parents, not her!! The letter can be read here. In the letter, the national general secretary of the outfit, Munna Kumar Sharma states that while they are proud of her achievements in topping the IAS examination, her decision to marry Athar Amar-ul Shafi is “painful.” They have demanded that first Athar should be persuaded to undergo a ‘Ghar Vapsi’ (Return to Hinduism) and urged the father to give adequate thought to the proposed marriage. The outfit has also made out offensive allegations of a conspiracy of “love jehad” and appealed to Tina Dabi’s parents for permission to join the struggle against this “conspiracy.”
For proponents of the far Hindutva right, autonomy of choice, especially for the girl or woman is anathema. Within this parameter the fact that a successful and intelligent woman can choose of her own to break the caste and community barriers that are the bedrocks of this male gaze and worldview, is no surprise.