Dear Editor,
I wish to respond to letters signed by Rev Gideon Cecil (‘There are serious staffing issues at the GPOC’ SN, October 27) and Eshwari Shakti Persaud (‘System at the Registrar annoying, frustrating’ GC, October 26) the last-mentioned of which stated among other things that the Registrar General discriminates against Hindu Marriage Officers. I wish to deny this vexatious allegation.
I am unaware of any incident of favouritism to Marriage Officers because of their religious beliefs. Any evidence of this malpractice, if available should be submitted to the Minister in charge of the Registrar General.
The Registrar General or staff are under no obligation to ensure Marriage Officers who depend on performing marriages as a source of income are provided with work. The Registrar General and staff are under no obligation to ensure Marriage Officers are provided expeditiously with marriage certificates for delivery to their clients. On many occasions couples have reported at the General Register Office that Marriage Officers are withholding their marriage certificates because they are unable to pay the required fee which ranges from ten thousand to fifteen thousand dollars.
Marriage Officers are required by law to lodge the registration of marriage at the General Register Office; they are not required to obtain certificates, this should be done by the couple. If a Marriage Officer chooses to obtain marriage certificates for marriages solemnized by him, he knows he is performing extra community based services for which he should be commended, on condition that his services are free and not for a fee.
I take strong umbrage to assertions that Hindu marriages are being cancelled because of their religious beliefs without an iota of evidence to support this claim. The writer of the letter must produce proof of the legal marriages that were performed and proof of their cancellation. For the information of the writer the Registrar General does not possess such authority and no such cancellation ever occurred. Therefore the writer should take the parties involved, proof of marriages and cancellations to the Minister of Home Affairs or the Crime Chief for investigation.
To the other ludicrious allegations, especially against brother Marriage Officers, I wish to state that Marriage Officers are expected to be religious leaders in their communities and organizations and possess the attributes capable of resolving conflict peacefully, free of hatred, free of casting aspersion, and bearing no false witness. They must be persons of strong character worthy of emulation.
The writers are clearly not interested in solving their perceived problems but attempting to intimidate the staff of the General Register Office with the use of the pen in an effort to coerce whatever assistance they require. Proof of these allegations are easy to obtain, and I wish to assist by requesting Mr Persaud to contact the Heads of the Muslim and Hindu communities to obtain registrations of all cancelled marriages within their organisations The General Register Office’s records are also open for inspection.
Yours faithfully,
G McDonald
Registrar General
