Notifying Families, Policing Choice: Gujarat’s Proposed Marriage Rules Expand State Power Over Intimacy

A proposed amendment to Gujarat’s marriage law requires that blood relatives and the public be informed before registration of marriage , allowing the family and the State to intervene in private relationships. Courts have repeatedly held such requirements unconstitutional and violative of the right to privacy, equality and personal liberty. Yet, a growing pattern of regulating interfaith and inter-caste unions under the guise of protection is evident, particularly in BJP-run states.

26 Mar 2026        Ajita Banerjie and Surbhi Karwa