Hindus believe in teenage marriage

So said Secretary General of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha Sat Maharaj as he addressed the organisation’s Arrrival Day Dinner at the Radisson Hotel, Port-of-Spain, on Saturday night.

“Whenever there is a political crisis, the Attorney General (Faris Al Rawi) uses child marriage as a distraction. Everytime they under pressure is child marriage,” he told guets.

“But, we do not believe in child marriage, we believe in teenage marriage. But everytime there is a crisis, the whole thing about child marriage comes up.” The outspoken Hindu leader raised the issue as he praise on Pundit Bhadase Seetahal Maraj, First Vice-President of the SDMS, who was honoured by the organisation for his contribution to the development of education and East Indians in this country. The SDMS secretary general said Maraj had led by example through his brief stint in the Senate during the debate on child marriage several months ago. “So, the debate was about to begin in the Senate and I called the Leader of the Opposition and I said, I want a voice in the senate, my own voice in the Senate, the Maha Sabha’s voice in the Senate for this debate on child marriage,” he said.

He Maraj and a representative from ASJA were eventually selected to debate the issue.

“He delivered a speech without a note because I was looking at him on television,” he said of Maraj.

The SDMS general secretary said all of the money that Maraj has worked for over the years has been “squandered” behind a mandir.

“Every single penny, TT$4 million.

This man is a virtual pauper at this point in time,” Maharaj said.

“He has to depend on his doctor son to ensure that he has enough to eat and drink.” In congratulating the pundit, Maharaj said: “You are a wonderful person and if anybody is worried about continuity, there is a whole generation behind us who are prepared to take over and lead the Hindu community.”