A case of alleged love jihad that has emerged from Zanskar, a sensitive and multi-religious region of Ladakh, has sparked concern and outrage across the region. The Zanskar Buddhist Association has launched a campaign against the administration over the alleged kidnapping and forced conversion of a young Buddhist woman, demanding the immediate registration of an FIR and the recovery of the woman.
The association has warned that if such cases are not stopped promptly, they could lead to serious social and communal tensions in a sensitive region like Ladakh.
A Buddhist woman has been missing for several days
A memorandum submitted by the Zanskar Buddhist Association to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate stated that a Buddhist woman named Stanzin Yangdol has been missing for several days. According to the association, the girl’s parents conducted an extensive search among relatives and friends, but have yet to find any trace of her.
The family fears that the young woman has been kidnapped and held hostage against her will.
Serious Allegations of a ‘Premeditated Pattern’
The Zanskar Buddhist Association, while refusing to consider this incident merely an individual case, has described it as part of a well-planned and recurring pattern. The Association alleges that in many cases, Buddhist young women are being converted not through their free, voluntary, and informed consent, but through deception, inducement, misinformation, and psychological pressure.
The Association claims that young women are first separated from their families and social support systems, and then forced to convert by exploiting their vulnerabilities—a practice now being called love jihad.
Citing the Special Marriage Act
The Association has clarified that if marriages between Buddhist women and Muslim men are truly based on mutual consent and free will, such marriages can be legally solemnized under the Special Marriage Act.
However, the Association alleges that in the cases reported, only women are converted, while men do not. Calling it a one-sided and questionable process, the Sangha has raised serious questions about the legality and voluntariness of such conversions.
Demand for Legal Action
The Zanskar Buddhist Sangha has demanded that an FIR be immediately registered against the accused under sections 138, 127, 318, 69, 87, and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 2023. It also demanded the immediate recovery of the missing girl and the implementation of the anti-conversion law in Ladakh.
Warning of Deterioration of Communal Harmony
The Sangha has appealed to the administration, community leaders, and especially the Muslim community, to speak out openly against such acts that could harm social harmony. The Sangha says that if such incidents continue, they could have far-reaching and serious social consequences in a multi-religious region like Ladakh.
Reactions have also emerged on social media regarding this matter.
One young man wrote, “Love never demands that someone change their religion or identity. If this is happening, then it’s not love, but a conspiracy.”
Questions raised about the administration’s silence
This incident comes at a time when it is reported to be the second such incident in the past month. Questions are now being raised about whether the administration will take timely action or whether such incidents will continue to recur.
