Tribal girl ties knot amid protests from Adivasi groups

Palanpur: When an Adivasi girl of Aravalli district fell in love with a boy from Patel community hailing from Sabarkantha, the two families were happy and looked forward to the marriage. However, Adivasi groups began to oppose it and protested.
The groups wrote to the boy’s parents not to go ahead with the marriage. The girl’s parents then approached the Bhiloda police for protection. The protestors even turned up at the venue on the wedding date and threatened to disrupt the function. But at the end, amidst all the drama and tense atmosphere the marriage was solemnized on Sunday under police protection.
The 24-year-old Manish Kumar, from Dantod village of Vijaynagar taluka, and 23-year-old Anjana, of Rampuri village of Bhiloda taluka, wouldn’t have imagined such social resistance over their marriage.
The girl’s Adivasi society members and BTP party men reached the wedding venue protesting against the “clash of culture” and demanded that the marriage should be cancelled. However, the boy and girl’s parents wanted the knot to be tied under police protection. The parents even tried to solemnize the wedding at the police station but the protestors didn’t allow them to.
Later, with the arrival of district authorities and two deputy superintendents of police, the marriage took place under strict police protection. Police inspector Bhiloda MG Wasava said the girl has done a nursing course.
The Gujarat government is encouraging inter caste and interracial marriages by giving Rs 1 lakh as encouragement. However, the opposition to such marriage is growing day by day among different groups.