Solapur (The Hawk): This was a "marriage procession" unlike any other. About 50 young to middle-aged unmarried men rode in a parade to the Solapur Collector while dressed in full, glittering bridal costume and demanded, of all things, wives!
The unusual march, organised by the NGO Jyoti Kranti Parishad (JKP), attracted attention, jeers, and even cheers, but it also brought attention to a serious issue that plagues the rural hinterlands of Solapur and other districts: there is a severe "shortage" of girls for marriage to bachelors in the 25–40 age range, as well as even older hopefuls.
All of the "single-grooms" participated in the one-kilometer-long procession wearing the traditional wedding garb of a sherwani or kurta, pyjamas, a red headpiece (pheta), a dangling sword, and a well-decorated white horse. They also carried placards around their necks and raised slogans to focus the government's attention on their sole issue.
"Wanted a Wife, A Wife!" was written on the placards. "Anybody can give a Girl to Marry Me!" "Government, come to your senses and talk to us, You will have to take heed of our suffering!" and "In future, Will I get married or Not?!" were among the cries heard during the parade, which was headed by an agitated 12-year-old girl named Vicky Sadigle.
According to JKP President Ramesh Baraskar, the dejected bachelors who attended the parade on Wednesday ranged in age from 25 to 40, were primarily well-educated, came from respectable middle-class families, included some farmers, and worked for a few private enterprises, among other things.
"These strong, successful, and capable guys don't find eligible ladies for marriage for years because of the imbalanced male to female population here. They are willing to "marry today" with any girl, regardless of caste, religion, widows, orphans, or even girls with disabilities, but no luck, lamented Baraskar in a conversation with IANS.
The procession came to an end close to the Collectorate, where the "single-grooms" knelt down, described their heartbreaking situation, and gave an unexpected note to Solapur Collector Milind Shambharkar addressed to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
According to Dr. Ganesh Rakh of Pune, who founded the "Beti Bachao" (Save the Girl Child) initiative in January 2022, there are 1,000 boys for every 1,000 girls in India, with Maharashtra having a ratio of 1,000 boys for every 920 girls.
"Except for Kerala, where the ratio is 1,000 boys to 1,050 girls, the statistics for the rest of the nation are false. In rural areas or among middle class and lower middle class boys who don't get girls, there are significant issues. If immediate corrective action is not taken right away, the issue will get worse, Dr. Rakh warned.
According to Baraskar, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former council chief of Mohol town, all girls of marriageable age prefer people in the armed forces, people who work abroad or in large cities like Mumbai and Pune, big businessmen, or people from wealthy families, according to JKP studies.
Even those from less affluent backgrounds who already reside in urban regions, according to Baraskar, are reluctant to move to rural areas for a variety of reasons.
According to him, the outcomes are devastating for the "starved" bachelors, who become depraved or hooked to various vices like alcoholism, and their parents contract various illnesses as a result of their worries about their unmarried sons and concern for the future of their family or clan.
One such would-be groom, Luv Mali, 40, told IANS that his entire family and the extended clan have been desperately looking for a girl in Solapur and other areas of Maharashtra for more than two decades, but they have been unsuccessful.
Kiran Todkar, 39, claimed that despite regularly attending matchmaking events in Solapur and other cities, he has been submitting his photos, bios, and family information on various social media platforms for the past 20 years without receiving a "hit" from any appropriate girls.
"My family is exhausted after a 15-year bride-hunt," Any woman willing to marry me will be accepted by them. Through social media and WhatsApp groups, as well as the local priests who serve as "matchmakers," I am having trouble finding one. After this Solstice march, I'm hoping for good luck, a lamented. age 36, Gorkha Hede
An angry 38-year-old officer at a private company recounted how his parents practically stop people on the street, on buses, in temples, or at social gatherings and ask them if they know a good girl to marry their son!
Baraskar claimed that the JKP eventually took action after facing harsh opposition and derision from the villagers for more than a month in attempts to bring attention to the problem in public.
In most villages, there are between 100 and 150 single males; in towns, the number is higher. People are already requesting that we hold similar processions in other districts due to the outpouring of support that has occurred. In Mumbai in the summer of 2023, we are organising a state-level morcha of such bachelors, according to Baraskar.
(Inputs from Agencies)
