The Chennai High Court has ruled that converts cannot be ordered to provide proof of caste-based marriage.
Balraj, a Christian from the Adi Dravidar class in Mettur, Salem district, was married to Amutha from the Arundhatiyar community. Having been caste-certified as a Christian Adi Dravidar and a backward class, he applied for a certificate for those who were married to a caste-denier. The Governor of Mettur, after considering the application, dismissed the application and ordered that the convert could not be issued a caste-denial marriage certificate.
When the case filed by Balraj against the order came up for hearing before Judge SM Subramaniam, the prosecution argued that it was right to reject the petitioner’s claim that the last 1997 government order could not issue caste-denial marriage certificates to persons who had converted. Following this, the judge dismissed the petition on the ground that the convert could not be ordered to issue a caste-denial marriage certificate.
“Conversion does not change one’s caste,” the judge said. The judge continued, “If a caste-denial marriage certificate is issued to a convert, the privileges for mixed marriages may be misused.”
– Mukesh
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