When there is heated debate in India about the potential law against Love-Jihad, late music composer Wajid Khan’s wife, clinical hypnotherapist Kamalrukh Khan wrote a post highlighting the difficult 17 years she has had, having married Wajid Khan, a Muslim while she herself was not and was a Parsi or Zoroastrian.
She wrote a long post on Instagram of her difficult and tense married life which was on-again off-again affair and she had to fend for herself and her children on her own. She has two children with Wajid, a 16 years old daughter and a 9 years old son.
Kamalrukh said they (Kamalrukh and Wajid) were college sweethearts and had a ten years long affair before discussing marriage. She never wanted to convert while Wajid wanted her to, fror his and family’s sake. She refused.
They took a month’s time to think. After a month she maintained her decision not to convert and Wajid accepted that. They married under the Special Marriages Act which allows both partners to continue practising their own religion after marriage. But for Wajid’s mother, it was no marriage and their children are bastards.
“Wajid’s family kept insisting that our children were illegitimate as was our marriage since we had not married as per Muslim law…” Kamalrukh added.
After the late musician passed away earlier this year due to complications in his health due to COVID-19, Kamalrukh says, her children’s right to their dad’ assets is being denied unless she agrees to convert to Islam.
That she says is the reason for her to speak out.
In the long post on Instagram, she explains how she had been under constant pressure from her in-laws, particularly her mother-in-law to convert. Although not formally divorced, she tells how after Wajid and his family continued to pressurize her to change her religion, in 2014 Wajid left her when their son was only 3 and filed for divorce after she refused to convert.
Also read: Composer Wajid Khan dies at 42
She believes filing for divorce was a threat and tactic as it never happened.
“Life has brought me to a point where I need to fight for my children’s due inheritance as his family has usurped his assets post Wajid’s death. I am both father and mother to them, and in practical matters, always have been! My daughter is 16 years and my son is 9 years. I have to pay for their education and our upkeep. I work as a clinical hypnotherapist and our primary source of earning has been Wajid’s marital support. If that too is being snatched away (by those who haven’t bothered to keep in touch with me or my children for the past 7-8 years, on such unfair grounds, I need to fight back on every front. Also my reasons for speaking out is tied to an inherent sense of justice. No woman should have to face what I have faced during these 17 years of marriage,” Kamalrukh said Talking to Times of India.
Lending support to Kamalrukh, Vishva Hindu Parishad released a statement which (in part) said:
“So far no Muslim leader or actor/artist has come forward to help ensure justice for Kamalrukh.”
“It has become clear that, for those people, be it from the film world or the outside world, be it the artistes or the so-called intelligentzia, the businessmen or the unemployed, there is no ‘Love’ but only the agenda of ‘Jihad’ behind such marriages or friendships! This fact was also asked by a court of law, as to why in such so-called marriages only the girl is forced to convert?”
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) once again made its demand for a nation-wide law against “Love-Jihad” for the protection of country’s daughters and their self-esteem, grace and dignity.
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