Grooms from HP, Punjab not allowed to cross Lakhanpur
Avtar Bhat
KATHUA, May 12: Inter- State marriages continue to become casualty of COVID-19 with authorities for the third time not allowing the bridegrooms from neighboring States of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh who had come to solemnize their marriage ceremonies in Jammu to cross the gateway of Lakhanpur today.
This is for third time when the police and district administration did not allow the bridegrooms to cross the Gateway of Lakhanpur to get their marriages solemnized in different districts of Jammu region where they were arranged earlier.
As per reports, five bridegrooms one from Himachal Pradesh and four from Punjab who had to get married at different places in Jammu region as per the date fixed earlier on the basis of Hindu calendar reached Lakhanpur early this morning . However, they were not allowed to proceed further from Lakhanpur by the police despite their repeated pleas.
One bridegroom who had come from Damtal area in Noorpur district of HP after waiting for entire day returned to his home State with a heavy heart without tying the nuptial knot as the authorities did not allow him to proceed towards Palli Morh in Kathua district the residence of his would be, in-laws which is hardly 10 kms from Lakhanpur.
Both the groom as well as families of bride had sought the permissions for the solemnization of marriage today from the authorities. While the groom’s family had got the permission from the SDM of Noorpur, HP the bride’s family had got permission from the District Development Commissioner, Kathua. However, the police at Lakhanpur did not allow them to proceed further on the pretext that they don’t possess a valid permission from Divisional Commissioner Jammu.
The bridegroom after waiting for the whole day later returned with a heavy heart without solemnization of the marriage though the police had asked his family members accompanying him to get the bride to Lakhanpur and perform the rituals in a simple way here which was rejected by the bride’s family.
The family members of the bride while turning down the offer said that they had made all arrangements in their village and despite seeking permission it is unfortunate that authorities created impediments in performance of marriage ceremony. “We were waiting for the whole day but were dejected when the groom did not turn till late in the evening”, said mother of the bride.
The groom’s family members who had accompanied him were also upset over the behavior of the police and district administration which did not allow them to proceed further. The father of the groom said that they crossed two States of HP and Punjab before entering J&K and no one said any thing to them any where nor stopped them from proceeding ahead. “But after reaching here the police stopped us,” he regretted.
He said it shows that the rules prior to abrogation of 370 and 35- A still prevail in J&K and the outsiders are not allowed to go ahead. “When there was no problem in crossing HP and Punjab what was the problem to administration here when we had assured them that we will perform marriage in a simple way,”? he asked.
However, the four other grooms who had come from Punjab and were slated to perform their marriage ceremonies in districts of Jammu, Kathua and Samba were asked to bring their brides to Lakhanpur by the administration for performance of marriage rituals in a simple way.
All the families of brides and grooms who were left with no alternative agreed to the proposal of the administration and the brides were brought to Lakhanpur where the marriages were solemnized in a simple way at a marriage hall one by one during the day and later the grooms proceeded for their home State along with brides.
It may be recalled that earlier on two occasions, one groom from HP was forced to return without solemnizing the marriage and later two grooms were forced to return to Punjab some days back who too had come to get married in Jammu while three others solemnized their marriage ceremonies in the vicinity of Lakhanpur after getting the brides there.
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