The Hindu : Karnataka News : Meeting turns into a marriage forum

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Tuesday, Jul 15, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Meeting turns into a marriage forum

Special Correspondent

It was to protest against the assault on a pair of lovers

TIRTHAHALLI: It was an unusual spectacle. A meeting convened here on Monday to protest against the attack on a pair of young lovers belonging to different communities turned into a marriage forum.

Those who participated in the protest meeting blessed Prema and Sujay after they entered into wedlock in the presence of a modest crowd.

Prema and Sujay, who were having a love affair since long, reportedly suffered physical assaults reportedly at the instance of their parents who did not take kindly to their marriage.

Protesting against the alleged assaults on the young lovers, the women’s morcha of the local unit of the Janata Dal(S), led by its president Dakamma, gave a call for a demonstration in front of the taluk panchayat office by like-minded people on Monday.

But the demonstration took a dramatic turn when the protesters called the young lovers to the spot and arranged their marriage in a simple manner in accordance with “Mantra Mangalya” as advocated by poet Kuvempu. The couple exchanged garlands as the people gathered blessed them.

The protesters, who had taken serious note of the alleged attack on the young couple, urged the police to see that such incidents were not repeated.

Indiramma, Nagaraj of the Dalit Sangharsh Samithi, Jayanthi Krishnamurthy and Lata Jois led the demonstration. The local unit of the Dalit Sangharsh Samithi and self-help groups had, in a complaint filed with the police, alleged that Prema belonging to the Devadiga community was assaulted by a group of 11 persons at Kuruvalli on July 3 in protest against her decision to marry Sujay.

The accused were reportedly absconding as a case had been registered against them.

The complainants gave a call for the protest demanding that the accused be immediately arrested and the girl be given protection.

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