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Afghan girl weds Punjabi boy
Satinder Bains
An Afghan woman who fled her homeland when the Taliban wrested control is making a new beginning in India just as the Islamic militia is being driven out of power.
Muska’s family had fled from Afghanistan to Australia after the Taliban took over in 1996. Married to her Indian sweetheart, Jaidev Singh, whom she met in Australia, Muska is now set to start life afresh in Punjab.
A Muslim by birth, Muska converted to Sikhism and married Jaidev Singh on Friday at Dhagana village of Amritsar district.
The marriage was solemnised at a gurdwara in the presence of Jaidev Singh’s family.
“I am quite happy to be a Sikh and the wife of a friend,” said Muska.
It was love at first sight for Muska and Jaidev, who met in Victoria city, Australia, where the latter was studying in a university. Muska’s family had taken refuge in Victoria after fleeing Afghanistan five years ago.
Out of a blazing conflict in her home country, Muska soon landed in another war of sorts — this time with her parents over her love affair. She eventually slipped into India without her parents’ knowledge to marry Jaidev Singh.
“My parents were dead against our inter-religion marriage and they followed us to India,” said Muska. Her parents wanted to marry her into an influential Afghan family.
“When I was pressured, I applied for a tourist visa and came to India on September 3 with Jaidev,” she said.
“It was love at first sight and I didn’t know which religion she followed. I had told her that we might face the wrath of her family, but she insisted on going ahead,” said Jaidev.
Muska’s parents, who had visited Amritsar recently, had even sought the intervention of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) for the safe return of their daughter. They alleged that Jaidev Singh had lured her to India.
SGPC Secretary Gurbachan Singh Bachan advised Muska’s parents not to interfere as the couple were adults and no decision could be imposed on them. “The girl had declined to talk to her family members and had insisted that she wanted to marry the boy,” he added.
Pal Singh, the bridegroom’s father, said his family had been under tremendous pressure and had even received threatening calls from Muska’s parents.
“The girl pleaded for help and said she might even be killed by her parents. She wanted to marry my son and we also agreed to it,” said Pal Singh. IANS |
Guide For Muslim Girls Marrying Sikh Guys 