Shotgun weddings !! Shotgun weddings !!! Over two decades ago, MEN were held to Ransom mainly in LAWLESS places like Chambal
The press was on fire with stories detailing cases, where a woman and her parents kidnapped a boy and got him married off at Gun point. Not only was the marriage a forced marriage, goons later kept tab of the couple to ensure that the man remained enslaved. Men as usual never opened up to the public as this was BELOW their dignity to accept servitude. The rare few who opened up were either silenced by the goons or were soon forgotten by the public.
One might have thought the opening up of the Indian economy would have changed all this
No !!!
Now the phenomenon of holding bridegrooms under leash has become "..truly Indian..". Just that the methods are more subtle
Men are being held to ransom, using FALSE DOWRY CASES -all over India.
Just as India went International, this phenomenon too went International. These days an increasing no of NRI are being held to Ransom by RAMPANT misuse of the anti dowry law, i.e. false cases under Sec 498A of the IPC and or other sections DP Act
Adding "mirch" to this Soap Opera is the recent Vampire in the name of Domestic Violence Act. Not only can wives hold the man to ransom, but even live in women can hold a hapless man to ransom as per the New DV
Logic seems to be
: "... when Laloo can go international and speak at Harvard etc. why NOT make the tragedy go international ?.." Now these threats and intimidation and elder abuse (sic) have caught the notice of the telly. Thanks to the
Save Indian Family foundation, news items of such misuse are pouring out all over the nations media. The latest was the case of the FALSE case on WIPRO chief, Aziz Premji that was unmasked by
Save Indian family I was beaten by my wife : Wipro Man Vinayak
15th Jan 2007
Makar Sankaranthi
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City_Supplements/Delhi_Times/On_a_wedding_shot/articleshow/1186291.cms ]
] On a wedding shot
]
]
] Nimisha Tiwari
]
] [ 14 Jan, 2007 2110hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
]
]
]
] Women have no say in choosing their partner in
] marriage. Allegedly, that's the norm. Here's a
] jolt - they do! Incidentally, at gunpoint.
]
] Fathom this: Samman, an educated guy from Mumbai
] visits a friend in Bihar at a wedding. There, he
] meets Kakul, the pretty daughter of a politico-
] business magnate from Patna and charms her with
] his flirtatious ways. So far, so good. But soon
] realises that he is a consenting, yet mute
] spectator, at his own wedding with Kakul at
] gunpoint!
]
] Bizarre, yet true! This phenomenon of 'marriage
] at gunpoint' has found its roots many years ago
] in northern Bihar, in retaliation to the dowry
] system. Often called the pakarva bibah (marriage
] by abduction) in the rustic lingo, over the past
] two decades, this system has become an accepted
] norm, rather ruthlessly though.
]
] Ajai Sinha, director of Ghar... ek sapnaa, the
] forthcoming soap on SaharaOne Television, which
] promises to capture this phenomenon with a punch,
] says, "Since it's an unknown ritual, I decided to
] delve into it. What's further interesting is that
] the bride comes to her husband's house thinking
] it's 'love' that has brought them together,
] oblivious of the forced route."
]
] Actor Manoj Bajpai who hails from Bihar, says,
] "An increasing number of multiplexes are no sign
] of progress. I would believe that the society has
] truly evolved if it would get rid of the dowry
] system. Sixteen years ago, during my Delhi
] University days, my friend faced the brunt of
] this reality. He could not visit his parents (in
] Bihar) for four years because of the fear of
] being abducted and forced into marriage. His
] parents just asked him to stay put there.
] Honestly, I feel life is worse for a woman in
] this case since a forced marriage is a soul
] torturing process."
]
] Bengali actor, Sayantani Ghosh, the female lead
] of the soap, affirms that this concept was a
] revelation to her. Gung-ho about acting in a real
] life saga, she says, "My role has many an
] emotion. When I realise the truth,
]
] I instinctively express - 'Kaash mere saath aisa
] na hota', which is also the punch of the story."
] In this scenario, it is indeed ironical that a
] woman 'chooses' her husband, but real happiness
] is a chanced moment...
]
] Premiering tonight, watch the rigmarole of a
] happy-yet-not-satisfying wedded life in an urban
] set-up in Ghar...ek sapnaa at 10 pm. Catch this
] soap Monday-Friday on SaharaOne Television.