3,000 poor couples in Maharashtra get 'royal wedding'
What's the story
Over 3.000 poor couples from across Maharashtra tied the knot at grand mass wedding organized earlier this month at several locations in the state, under an initiative taken by Charity Commissioner Shivkumar Dige. Local religious institutions and trusts utilized their spare funds to arrange mass weddings in view of the agrarian distress, especially for daughters and sons of farmers and laborers. Here's more.
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Expenditure on daughter's wedding becomes reason for farmer's indebtedness
In many cases, the expenditure on daughter's wedding becomes a major reason for a farmer's indebtedness, which at times leads to suicides, Dige noted. "We set up district-wise committees to execute the plan and spread the word about mass weddings among the public," he said.
Happy couple
Swapnil, his wife Tejal got married at mass wedding
Swapnil Sable and his wife Tejal are one of the couples who married at the mass wedding in Mumbai on May 13. The couple was happy as they saved a lakhs of rupees. Sable said his family has a small farm in Palghar district. But, he works in a private firm where he earns a meager salary. His wife's father is also a farmer.
Mass wedding
95 couples in Palghar district married on the occasion
"When our marriage was fixed, the main issue for both the families was how to raise funds for the function. When we heard about the mass wedding in Mumbai, we decided to enroll in it to save money for our future," Swapnil said. More than 95 couples from the Wada tehsil in Palghar district also tied the knot at the mass wedding event.
Another mass wedding
18 couples got married on May 14
Pune division's Deputy Charity Commissioner Navnath Jagtap said 18 couples from a tribal area near Khed tehsil tied the knot at one such mass wedding on May 14. "The SM SupeFoundation, which works for the welfare of tribals in the Khed region, took the lead and helped 18 couples from a small hamlet to tie the knot," he said.
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Pune-based jeweler offered free mangalsutras to brides
Santosh Supe, the foundation's President, said a famous jeweler in Pune offered "mangalsutras" free of cost to the 18 brides. "Even the clothes and shoes for grooms and the bridal outfits were arranged from various sources," he said.
Latur
Another 45 poor couples tied the knot on May 13
Sharing a similar story, Pradip Rathi, one of the trustees of the Ashtvinayak Trust in Latur district, said 45 couples, largely sons and daughters of farmers and farm laborers from the drought-ridden Marathwada region, got married on May 13 at a mass wedding event in Latur. Nearly 100 social organizations came forward and arranged over Rs. 40 lakh for the weddings, he said.