‘We fear for our lives’: Surat interfaith couple seeks police protection as threats continue
The couple have been working at a real estate firm in Surat for five years. They had their parents’ permission for the wedding. Both families are of modest means.
THE interfaith couple from Surat, who pulled out of a mass marriage ceremony being organised by an NGO on March 14 following threats on their social media accounts, have sought security from police as the threats have continued.
The couple told The Indian Express that they feared for their lives to the extent that they stopped going to work.
On Sunday, they handed an application to the Mahila police station in Surat seeking police help against any “untoward incident”.
An officer at the Mahila police station said they have accepted the application and are working on it. “We will also take help from the Surat cybercrime police to track those posting threatening messages,” said the officer.
The man (29) told The Indian Express, “We are receiving threatening messages and comments on our social media accounts daily. There is a threat to our lives, anything could happen to us at any time. There is no one to support us. We have just one hope: the police. We dreamt that after March 14 we would be married, settling down as man and wife, and start a family. Now we are worried for our lives and the safety of our parents.”
The couple have been working at a real estate firm in Surat for five years. They had their parents’ permission for the wedding. Both families are of modest means.
The couple said they came to know from social media about the NGO, Yashvi Foundation Charitable Trust, which has been organising mass weddings since 2024, and approached them.
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Pre-wedding rituals began on February 25 for 101 couples to tie the knot on March 14, with bridal trousseau handed over to the women. On February 26, the NGO held a mehndi ceremony for the couples. The interfaith couple were present at both.
But after videos and photos of the ceremony went viral, and their identities became known, their social media accounts were flooded with threats, the couple said.
On February 27, the Yashvi Foundation posted a letter on social media stating that the interfaith couple would not be among those getting married at the mass wedding on March 14. In the statement the NGO said it respects “a proposed amendment in the marriage registration law, wherein consent of parents is necessary”. “Keeping this in mind, and seeing that the law has not been properly followed, we have decided to cancel the marriage form (of the interfaith couple).”
The woman (25) said, “We have decided to postpone our marriage as the situation has worsened. We contacted Yashvi Foundation for marriage, and after our videos went viral, they cancelled our form (for the mass marriage) citing the proposed amendment to the marriage registration law. We will leave the city in the next couple of days and will stay away for a few days till the matter settles down.”
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“Both of us have taken leave from our workplace and have informed our families about it,” she said.
On February 27, Aslam Cyclewala, the Surat convener of an NGO called South Gujarat Muslim Samaj, handed a memorandum to Surat District Collector Sourabh Pardhi and Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut, demanding that the wedding be stopped as it is a “violation” of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act. “The interfaith marriage of a couple to be carried out as per Hindu rituals should be stopped, as it would damage the social fabric and peaceful atmosphere of the city. Strict legal action should be taken against Yashvi Foundation for violating the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021.”
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
Expertise
Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
