It is regrettable that Maha Sabha leader Sat Maharaj should have reacted so aggressively to statements made against child marriage by Catholic archbishop Joseph Harris.
Mr Maharaj fiercely guards the interests, as he sees them, of the Hindu community. Archbishop Harris described 12- to 14-year-old girls getting married as "statutory rape." Those strong words, probably intemperate in the context of a debate that required more light than heat, would rankle the Maha Sabha's leader, whose own life was defined by child marriage under Hindu rites.
That, moreover, was in the 1950s, which was less than a decade after Hindu marriages were legally recognised by the colonial State and at a time when Indian girls married young more often than not, partly because early marriage provided certain socio-economic advantages in a poor and largely illiterate community.
In this 21st century, however, social mores and women's status have changed drastically, so Mr Maharaj's arguments about a "safety net" do not meet today's measure of what is acceptable. He should reflect on whether he is embarrassing the very Hindu community he believes himself to be defending.
Mr Maharaj's retort to the archbishop was to "mind your own damn business."
However, religious beliefs and customs do not enjoy immunity from criticism. Mr Maharaj has himself not been shy about criticizing evangelical Christians and Muslims. Indeed, in taking Archbishop Harris to task, he referred to the child abuse scandals that have plagued the Church over the past three decades, as if those egregious wrongs make the Archbishop's statements against child marriage invalid.
But in any case, virtually every other Hindu organisation has come out in favour of changing the antediluvian Hindu Marriage Act to raise the legal marriage age for Hindu girls from 14 to 18. And it is almost certainly the case that the majority of Maha Sabha members would also support–or at least do not oppose–changing the law. Those members who feel otherwise should find the courage of their convictions and speak out, even if it means countering their leader.
In his long career as a Hindu spokesman, Mr Maharaj has been nothing short of robust in expressing his points of view. The opposition of other Hindu groups to child marriage, however, demonstrates that while child marriage advocates have scored telling blows in the battle, they may be about to lose the wider war.
Meanwhile, the country is yet to hear if the Inter-Religious Organisation has changed its position on this issue. As matters now stand, 17 of the IRO's 25 leaders are officially in favour of child marriage, although none of these leaders includes the major denominations except the Maha Sabha itself. The IRO under the direction of Brother Harrypersad Maharaj, who started this whole furore, has been roundly criticised on social and other media. Should the 17 leaders remain silent, the organisation will lose much moral authority.
In that context, the two Maharajs have done the country a favour, whatever we may think of their positions on the issue. They have focused national attention on child marriages. Attorney General Faris al-Rawi, who met with some religious leaders yesterday, will no doubt be knocking on an open door when the time comes to lay a marriage amendment in Parliament.
Sat Maharaj, as a respected leader of Hindus, should be one of those leading the charge towards modernisation, harmonisation and positive change.