Hadiya’s Choices 

Hadiya’s Choices 

Context

Question to SC: Does an adult woman not have a right to privacy and autonomy?

Author’s views

• In ordering that “the NIA investigation shall continue in accordance with law,” the SC is continuing to allow the NIA the power to delegitimise a woman’s conversion and marriage and to go on looking for links between a Muslim man and terrorism
• Kerala HC verdict had argued that “As per Indian tradition, the custody of an unmarried daughter is with the parents, until she is properly married.” For the SC not to have taken the first opportunity presented to it to set aside this blatantly regressive judicial premise is a matter of shame
• It is also a matter of concern that the CPI(M)-led Kerala government which had earlier submitted that there was no evidence to merit an NIA probe, did a u-turn and asked the SC to pass a verdict only after considering the NIA report. It is a sad day for a Left party to imagine that it can credibly fight the communal agenda of the central government and the Sangh Parivar if its own government supports attempts to legitimise “love jihad”