How Chauhans marry
By Justice Markandey Katju
A relative of mine who was in the Indian Foreign Service, and was for some time India's High Commissioner to Pakistan, told me this story.
In Pakistan, he became a friend with a Mr Chauhan, a gentleman whose Rajput Hindu ancestor had for some reason converted to Islam long ago.
Mr Chauhan had a grown up son, who fell in love with a Muslim girl, and they wanted to marry. Though both were Muslims, for some reason the girl's parents were not agreeable to the marriage, and the young man told this to his father.
On hearing this, Mr Chauhan told his son ''We are Chauhans. We don't take the girl's parents' permission. We just carry the girl away''.
P.S.
The reference was to the story of Prithviraj Chauhan who surreptitiously carried away his beloved Sanyogita on his horse, when her father Jaichand ( an enemy of Prithviraj ) refused to give his consent to their marriage.
(Justice Katju is a former Judge, of the Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman, the Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own)
