|
SOCIETY
Mass
marriage of 55 Muslim couples
Jaipur:
In order to save rising costs, 55 Muslim couples
got married at a mass marriage function in Jaipur
on Sunday. The ceremony was organised by a social
organisation, Muslim Deshwalian Society, and the marriage
rites were conducted according to the Muslim laws.
Mass marriages are getting in vogue across India as
a viable alternative to the traditional lavish marriage
ceremonies where usually a bride's family is forced
to present expensive gifts in cash or kind to the
bridegroom. "I am feeling very nice as with such ceremonies
we are able to save money and time. If somebody is
poor and unable to get his daughter married then you
can get them married without spending much," said
Afsana Bano, a bride. "Poor and rich can get married
under the same roof so that there should be no difference
between them," said Abdul Hamid, a bridegroom. A few
couples who were from well-to-do families were asked
to shell out 20,000 rupees each but the poor married
free of cost. "The main idea behind these mass marriages
is to save unnecessary money in marriages. We have
charged 20,000 rupees from the families and are trying
to give gifts and household items worth 15,000 rupees,"
said Salimuddin Behlin, secretary of Muslim Deshwalian
Society. The newly weds were also presented gifts
comprising household items and a community feast was
organised on the occasion. Marriages in India are
costly affairs. The family of a bride is expected
to bear the expenses of a lavish wedding and give
dowry. The concept of mass-marriage is gaining popularity
amongst the economically backward as it eases a huge
financial burden.
-May
17, 2004
Rescued sex workers get married in Mumbai
Mumbai:
'Saavdhan', a non-governmental organization, recently
married off three girls rescued a month ago from a
brothel. And later a reception was held for the newly-wed.
The girls were given a fresh lease of life by IG Khandelwal,
secretary of Saavdhan, which works for the welfare
of sex workers. "I am very happy. So far everything
has been good for me. I hope everything will be good
or me in future," Radhika, one of brides, said. Her
husband said he was confident that they would be able
to take on society and lead a normal life. "I am least
bothered about what society says about it. We have
decided to get married and it's not society. If we
want to change things in society it has to start from
home. People will say something today but then everything
will be normal later. We are not worried about that,"
Krishna said. Khandelwal said one of the grooms is
a police constable and the two others are social workers,
one working with "Saavdhan." "The girls met the boys
and instantly decided to tie the knot. Their families
also agreed to accept these girls. I am sure that
the girls will now lead a good life and be accepted
by society," he said. The organisation adopts rescued
sex workers and maintains a database of prospective
grooms for them. The organisation has rescued nearly
8,500 prostitutes in the last few years and has conducted
marriages of about 850 of them. Most women prostitutes,
estranged from social security systems and ostracised
by society, lead extremely sorry lives. Living in
sickening conditions, most of them fall prey to various
sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS. Of the
country's three million sex workers, 94 percent are
Indians, while the rest are mainly from neighbouring
Bangladesh and Nepal. At least 600,000 minors are
also employed in the profession and their number is
said to be increasing by almost 10 per cent every
year.
-May
9, 2004
Sex
workers seek legalisation of their profession
Kolkata:
Hundreds of sex workers in Kolkata on Saturday
demanded legalisation of their profession. Holding
torches and banners, the slogan shouting sex workers
demanded that the government should recognise them
as professionals. Sex workers have often accused the
government of violating human rights. "This is a procession
of labours and we demand recognition for our profession.
So we are taking out this procession," said Maya Sharma,
a sex worker. Sharma also sought a regulated income,
saying mere license would not help them. Official
records estimate that there are at least 40,000 sex
workers in Kolkata, capital of West Bengal, alone.
Though prostitution is illegal in India, all major
cities have "red light areas" where prostitutes can
be hired for a pittance. NGOs have been demading a
legislation to ensure labour status for the prostitutes
for over seven years now, but to no avail. Most women
prostitutes, estranged from social security systems
and ostracised by society, lead extremely sorry lives.
Basic assistance like ration cards, health cards and
identity cards are impossible to attain and most cannot
even avail of medical facilities. They live in sickening
conditions, with most of them falling prey to various
sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS. Of the
country's three million sex workers, 94 percent are
Indians, while the rest are mainly from neighbouring
Bangladesh and Nepal. At least 600,000 minors are
also employed in the profession and their number is
said to increasing by almost 10 per cent every year.
-May
1, 2004
Previous
File
|
