Hindus say proposed Canadian immigration marriage regulations unfairly target traditions

Nevada (US), April 14 (ANI): Hindus have strongly criticized the proposed new Canadian regulations concerning immigration and marriages, saying that these unfairly target their centuries old traditions.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that in Hinduism, vivah (marriage) was the most important samskar (sacrament). Traditional Hindu marriage was a sacred rite and was believed to be binding not only in this life but in the life hereafter also. And Ottawa saw "bad faith" in it, he added.

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued: A large majority of us still go for arranged marriages and we are proud of this fact. But "arranged" should not be mistaken for "forced". We are not rogues as Ottawa is trying to hint, we just happen to be different.

Rajan Zed further said that Ottawa was attempting to destroy their traditions while claiming to be "safeguarding the integrity of the immigration process". Ottawa was trying to tell us "how to live and love and choose marriage partners". (ANI)