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A report by The Economist revealed that 37% of married British-Pakistanis were first cousins, compared to less than 1% of white British couples
India’s secular legal system offers an alternative for couples who wish to marry outside religious or traditional boundaries
In one of the world’s most developed nations, a centuries-old social tradition continues to thrive within a specific immigrant community; and it’s raising new questions about public health. A recent report by The Economist highlights that 37 percent of married British-Pakistanis are first cousins, a sharp contrast to less than 1 percent among white British couples. The findings are based on the extensive Born in Bradford study, which tracked the health patterns of 13,500 families in West Yorkshire, UK.
The practice, deeply rooted in cultural norms and kinship networks from South Asia, is not without consequence. While the overall risk of birth defects remains low across the UK, the study observed a significantly higher risk of congenital disorders in children born from close-kin unions. Health experts say this pattern deserves urgent attention, especially in communities where cousin marriages remain commonplace.
The Born in Bradford project, one of the largest long-term research efforts on ethnic and genetic health inequalities in the UK, aims to understand how culture intersects with healthcare outcomes. It found that while cousin marriages offer perceived social stability and family consolidation in some communities, they also statistically heighten the chances of inherited health conditions.
Meanwhile, across India, where many of these traditions originate, the regulation of cousin marriages presents a patchwork of religious doctrine, regional customs, and modern law.
In Hindu communities in North India, cousin marriages are strictly forbidden. The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, grounded in ancient scriptural norms, bars unions within the same gotra (clan) and within sapinda relationships, a term that refers to blood relations up to five generations on the father’s side and three on the mother’s. These prohibitions reflect a longstanding belief in exogamy, where marrying outside one’s kin group is essential to preserve genetic diversity and social order.
But travel south, and the landscape changes dramatically.
In states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana, marriages between cousins – including unions between a man and his maternal uncle’s daughter – are not only legal but often celebrated. In some communities, uncle-niece marriages are customary and are performed with great ceremony, underlining the depth of regional variation in Indian marital practices.
The Special Marriage Act
India’s secular legal system offers an alternative for couples who wish to marry outside religious or traditional boundaries. Under the Special Marriage Act, individuals can legally marry even their close relatives, provided the relationship is not specifically listed under the law’s “prohibited degrees of relationship”.
This Act, designed to accommodate interfaith and intercaste unions, reflects India’s pluralistic ethos. But it also reveals the grey zones where social practice and legal policy overlap, sometimes in conflicting ways.
Whether in the UK or in India, cousin marriage occupies a complicated space – cherished as tradition by some, scrutinised as a public health concern by others. As genetic science and cultural debates increasingly intersect, especially in diasporic communities, societies are being forced to confront uncomfortable questions about where heritage ends and harm begins.
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