Tag : Brides

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 t ...