New Delhi: October 25, 2007 – IR Summary - Some states had made registration of marriage compulsory for Hindu community and to make it a uniform law for all communities, the Supreme Court has asked all States and Union Territories to make the registration mandatory for all by introducing a proper legislation.

By this order, registration for all marriages shall be compulsory irrespective of religions, communities and states.

Since there is already a procedure to get the marriage registered , the Muslim leaders have welcomed the direction of the Supreme Court  that all states to bring in a suitable legislation to make registration of marriage compulsory for all communities.  

All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) spokesman Qasim Rasool Ilyas, however, said that the direction of registration of all marriages is a welcome move but he said that word ‘compulsory’ should not form part of the legislation. 

"In Islam, all the marriages are registered. This (the direction) would be only their re-registration," he said, adding "it should not be made compulsory but optional".

All India Shia Personal Law Board president Mirza Mohammad Athar said: "The legislation is not anti-Islam or anti-Sharia (Islamic law). This would strengthen the Islamic practice of registering marriages".

He further said that there is no harm in getting the marriage registered, when they go abroad.

Dr. Raj Baldev, Cosmo Theorist from India, and Chairman “National Integration Assembly (NIA) while appreciating the direction of  the Supreme Court that all states should introduce proper legislation to make the marriages compulsory for all, said, “This is really a high sense of integration of India, the nation, the custom and culture of all, it is a great obligation by the Supreme Court, which it always discharges to keep the balance in justic."