LOVE JIHAD

 'Love jihad' is an oxymoron like the 'wise fool', although "All is fair in love and war"; obviously this 'love yudh' or 'ishq jihad' is highly unfair, as decreed by the powers that be. We shall soon criminalise these cupid struck wannabe 'Love jihadis'. So will this then be a dharm yudh against jihad.....Holy crusades(!). 

Apparently this term was coined after a few cases of forced conversions  post inter religion marriages were reported, although nobody has been convicted so far. It has suddenly started raining Laws and Ordinances criminalising this crime of passion. I wonder whether the lovelorn damsels will gather the courage to hum "Pyar kiya to darna kya...." as crooned  by Madhubala in Mughal-e Azam challenging the might of  Akbar in the Diwan-e-Aam. The powers that be would like to believe, "What's love got to do with it.....after all it is just a second hand emotion", with due apologies to Tina Turner.

As wise men have correctly ordained that "Marriage is the only war where you get to sleep with the enemy". I am sure the idea of Love jihad has been conceived by bachelors who are blissfully ignorant that marriage itself is a jihad and it makes no exceptions. It does not discriminate between Love jihadis or loveless jihadis (obviously the rest of us belong to the latter). After all what exactly is jihad? It is supposed to be one's struggle with oneself with a praiseworthy aim i.e. we must vanquish the evil that is within us for our spiritual salvation. Marriage invariably acts as a motivating factor towards our quest for Moksha.

Currently such inter religion marriages are solemnised  under the Special marriage act, the act which makes the elders in the family react rather violently, at times ending up in what is normally referred to as honour killings. The word "honour" though is left squirming in the dictionaries for such blatant misuse of its noble intent , after all any such killing is the most heinous and dishonourable act.

Maradona, God bless his soul, decreed "All is fair in love, war and football" with his infamous 'Hand of God' goal against England in 1986 Soccer World Cup. In India Football would have be substituted by Cricket. But this jihad business is definitely not cricket. 

Love is sacred, let us not ruin it... As the lyrics in "Khamoshi" old Hindi movie go..."सिर्फ़ एहसास है ये रूह से महसूस करो, प्यार को प्यार ही रहने दो कोई नाम न दो"