Madhesi society, which is beset with social evils such as dowry and untouchability, has started to relent on its stance when it comes to inter-caste and inter-community marriages. [break]
Youths generally get married in their teens. Those who have crossed the community-accepted age for marriage end up paying a girl´s parents money for marrying her. Such youths are now tying the knot with girls from so-called lower castes or from distant communities.
Sitaram Yadav of Samanpur-7 tied the knot in a traditional ceremony with a girl all the way from Sunsari after he failed to find any girl suitable for his age in his own community. Hundreds of such youths are forced to remain bachelors in that VDC alone.
So, there is a growing trend among such youths to bring girls generally from the Dalit community or from far-off districts including Siraha, Saptari, and Sunsari to marry. With the scarcity of girls fit for such youths, society started accepting girls from any caste or community.
According to Maujelal Yadav of Gopal Sewa Samiti, his community accepts the marriage of boys and girls regardless of caste or community. Inter-caste marriage is on the rise in Dharmapur, Madhopur, Haraia, Samanpur, Baluwa, Tokar, Bariyarpur, Mahamadpur, Pipariya Dostiya, Katariya and Bhasedhawa VDCs in the district. The increase in marriages between Madhesi boys and girls of hill origin is also helping community integration in the district.
Rights activists are opposed any kind of cash transaction between bride and groom. They are of the opinion that a boy´s family paying money to the girl´s family in return for her hand in marriage is likely to become another form of dowry and could lead to other problems.
Superintendent of Police Govinda Ram Pariyar in Rautahat said that it is against the law and a bad social practice to give or take money for the purpose of marriage.
Hare Krishna Yadav of Madhopur VDC informed that a boy´s family pays Rs 20,000 to 100,000 to the girl´s family for marriage.
Ram Sagar Sah, a teacher at Saraswati Higher Secondry School in Mahali, said that inter-caste marriage comes with many benefits as it promotes social harmony and children born to such marriages have keen minds and extra abilities.
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