Bhopal: A Hindu family in MP’s Chhattarpur district has embraced Islam after allegedly being ostracized for 28 years for an inter-religion marriage.

Vinod Prakash Khare, a resident of Fotdar Mohalla in Rajnagar, had married a Muslim woman who was later renamed Beena around 28-years ago. They have two sons Aman and Suraj and a daughter Ekta, but their village never accepted the union.

“Our society harassed us. Nobody used to call us to marriages. If there was a marriage in the house of a relative, they would not enter our house but leave the card at the gate. My father was not even allowed to lend his shoulders to my grandfather’s funeral procession,” Ekta, now Fatima, told mediapersons on Wednesday. “We changed our religion so that we could live safely with our maternal uncles,” she added.

The family converted to Islam on August 21. Vinod said: “Can’t we live as per our will? Can’t we marry the person of our choice?”

Rajnagar SDM Ravindra Chouksey said, “I have not received any formal complaint or intimation of change of religion. But it has come to my notice that a family claiming to be fed up of social boycott has willingly converted to Islam.”

Leaders of Hindu organisations are now meeting the family members. “We are in touch with the family and met them. They had some family issues and were probably misguided and we are trying to get all their issues resolved. They did face troubles, but every individual has to face some or other trouble in life. They are our brothers and no Hindu brother will have to convert to any other religion. We are working out to solve their issues,” said district president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Lav Kush Nagar, Anupam Gupta.



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