MP family performs post-death rituals for ‘disgraced’ living daughter

Family says they were ashamed of their daughter’s decision to marry a Muslim

JABALPUR | Updated: 12 June, 2023 5:18 pm IST

The Hindu family's weird condolence message for their daughter has gone viral on social media.

JABALPUR: In a shocking turn of events, a family in Madhya Pradesh performed post-death rituals for their living daughter, who “brought them disgrace” by marrying a Muslim man. The angered family stated that they conducted ‘pind daan’ and ‘mrityu bhoj’ (feast held after a person’s demise) to publicly proclaim that the woman was dead to them.

On Sunday, in the presence of locals and members of Hindu organizations, the woman’s mother, father, and brother symbolically performed the last rites along the serene banks of the Narmada River. The woman had recently married her Muslim partner, which triggered a backlash from her family, who expressed their dismay and claimed to have been kept in the dark about the court wedding.

ALSO READ: Even Uzbek women are not safe in Nitish Kumar’s Bihar

Her grief-stricken and bewildered father lamented the turn of events, saying, “She was the youngest in our family. We had envisioned celebrating her marriage joyfully, performing the sacred wedding rituals.” He continued, “However, now we find ourselves performing her funeral rites. Today, my daughter is dead. Another life lost to the alleged menace of love jihad.”

*Ankita Dubey recently married a Muslim man.*

Speaking to the media, the mother stated, “She has died for us.” She expressed that her daughter had brought shame upon the entire family. Despite their attempts to reason with her, the girl remained defiant, even falsely claiming that her family had arranged the marriage.

ALSO READ: Muslims leave Uttarakhand town amid boycott over girl’s elopement bid

Prior to the televised rituals, the family circulated a condolence message on social media, which quickly went viral, eliciting both sympathy and criticism. In the message, the family referred to the woman as a “disgraced daughter” and suggested her destined path to hell.

While some praised the family, arguing that women marrying Muslim men often face mistreatment, coercion for conversion, and even death if they resist, others defended the woman, asserting that every family should be open to welcoming their members regardless of the severity of their mistakes.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: