The Freethought Party of India (FPI) has alleged that the State Government’s is making efforts to deregister and cripple Anti-caste Marriage and One-Child Family Organisation of India(AMOFOI), which solemnises love marriages irrespect castes, by revising the Societies Act 1960.
“The Government is trying to have a regressive and oppressive measure to take away the dignity and independence of NGOs that are working with their head high in the name of revision of Socieiteis Act,” alleged PFI general secrtary B Ramchandra CST Voltaire.
Stating that he along with others had launched AMOFOI on December 10, 1980 to bring reformes in the society, Ramchandra said the AMOFOI has so far conducted as many as 8,722 casteless dowryless priestless love marriages without spending any amount of money on Vedi-Bana-Baja-Bhojibhat rituals.
The Government has been vindicative after the AMOFOI solemnised a anti-caste love marriage involving Elima Kar, 24 and Prabhu Prasad Sahu 25, both of Saraskana villag under the Jharpokharia police statoin in Mayurbhanja district on May 1, 2019.
Being a Brahmin, Elima’s father Amarendra Kar, BJD secretary of Mayurbhanj district, could not accept the marriage as bridegroom Prabhu belongs an OBC Teli family, alleged Ramchandra.
Angry Kar got his daughter back with the help of the police after 45 days and filed a kidnapping case against Prabhu in the Family Court, Baripada, Mayurbhanj. The AMOFOI was made a party to the case as the marriage was not conducted as per the provisions of Hindu Marriage Act of 1955.
Subsequently on September 21, 2019, the AMOFOI secretary got a show-cause notice No 2760 dated September 20, 2019 from the ADM-cum-Additional Registrar of Societies, Bhubaneswar asking him to explain why the AMOFOI should not be de-registered as it is not following the provisions of the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955. To this, the AMOFOI submited a reply on October 4, 2019.
“The objectives of the AMOFOI are totally different from the provisions of the Hindu Marriage of Act of 1955. The Constitution of India empowers any group of Indian citizens can form any association or union to carry forward their objectives as contained in their bye-law or constitution. Fundamental rights of the citizens are of greater weight than the rules framed by the Governments,” said Ramchandra.
He alldged that as the Government is trying to come with a revised version of the Society Act of 1860 to kill organisations like AMOFOI through a device of renewal of registration after the expiry of every five years and other controls.
“This proposed revised Act should not be passed by the Odisha Legislative Assembly. If it is passed, the same will be struck down by the judiciary which is empowered to uphold Citizens’ Fundamental Rights,” points out FPI general secretary B Ramchandra CST Voltaire in a statement.