Hinduism is a diverse religion with millions of followers worldwide. The word Hindu is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Sindhu’, which refers to the historical Indus or ‘sindhu’ river. In the very beginning, the term ‘Sindhu’ referred to the people who settled around the Indus River. Later ‘Sindhu’ became ‘Hindu’ and the term was used to denote people who were neither Muslim nor Christian.
WHO IS A HINDU UNDER HINDU LAW.
Any type of Hindu Law to apply to any person, he or she must be a Hindu. And for that reason it is very important to understand that Who is a Hindu.
Section 2 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, indirectly defined the term Hindu in a negative aspect. According to this section A person can be called as a Hindu, who:
- Is a Hindu by religion in any of its forms or developments, including a Virashaiva, a Lingayat or a follower of the Brahmo, Prarthana or Arya Samaj.
- Is a Buddhist, Jaina or Sikh by religion.
- Is not a Muslim, Parsi, Christian or Jews and are not governed under Hindu law.
- Is born from Hindu parents.
If the above mentioned conditions are fulfilled, then a person can be presumed to be a Hindu.
In conclusion it can be said that Hindu means any person following the Hindu religion and certain denominations like Virashaiva, Lingayat, Brahmo, Prarthana, or Arya Samaj. The mention of Hindu in the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 for the purpose of marriage, is indeed the core reference for the criteria for qualifying as well as applicability of Hindu laws within the Hindu community in India.
