Quint Rant: Sorry Hindu Mahasabha, Facebook Has Tina Dabi’s Back

The Hindu Mahasabha thinks it can tell Tina Dabi who to marry and who not to. Thank god social media gave it back!

(Photo: Prashant Bhardwaj/The Quint)

Aah, love! It blooms in Yash Chopra’s sarson ke khet – and it emerges out of – IAS training centres. Wait, what?

In a love story almost too good to be true, Tina Dabi, the girl who ranked first in the 2015 UPSC exam is all set to marry the guy who ranked second in the same exam: Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi Khan. Picture perfect, you think? We do too.

Also Read: Hindu Mahasabha Calls Tina’s Decision to Marry Athar “Love Jihad”

(Sigh), Now if only the Hindu Mahasabha would get in line!

But, no. In a letter addressed to Dabi’s father, Mr Munna Kumar Sharma – the Mahasabha’s national general secretary – had THIS to say:

This decision of your family will promote love jihad and thus the wedding should not take place at any cost. If the couple is still willing to tie the knot, then ghar-wapsi of Khan should be done and a wedding should take place only after he agrees to get converted.

(Slow clap).

Ab yeh mat socho, that the Mahasabha's a bunch of stingy uncles at a shaadi. No, they’re incredibly generous: they’ve offered to help in the re-conversion of the Kashmiri Muslim boy so that he can marry the Hindu girl. Once the ghar waapsi’s done, they will happily ‘support’ the marriage – because, of course, unke support ke bina toh shaadi ho hi nahi sakti!

Dear Mr Sharma, and ALL of the Hindu Mahasabha: We have much to tell you and much to rant about, but instead of us doing the talking, why not just hear it from the 21st century? We posted Tina's story on The Quint and here's what the world of social media is telling you:

Mr Sharma, ab toh appane sun liya, na? If you want us to summarise all of that for you, here’s the gist:

Tina and Athar are self-respecting, independent individuals who live in the 21st century. They’ll marry who they want to, when they want to and how they want to. And they DO NOT need your vishesh tippani or your express sanction. Ab, Bollywood type ka love story hai, toh Bollywood lingo main hi samjhaate hai – miyan biwi raazi, toh kya karega qazi?

Ab to aap samajh gaye, na?

Cameraperson: Abhay sharma
Video Editor: Prashant Bhardwai
Producer: Erum Gour