Maoist Fear Forces No Frills Marriages in Eastern India.
ANCHOR:
The fear of Maoists in India's northeastern city of Gaya is forcing the locals to perform marriages without any ostentation. Only garlands are being exchanged in temple courtyards nowadays.
STORY:
Indians are used to grandiose marriage celebrations. Without any exaggeration, they invite almost the entire neighborhood on the occasion. But people in the Maoist infested region of eastern Bihar are forced to restrict the marriage celebrations to the courtyards of the temples.
[Yugal Singh, Local Resident]:
"We are scared that the Maoists will spoil our celebrations. They have a tendency of taking away our belongings, snatching our valuables and hurting us. They attack such huge gatherings."
While the young couples are disappointed, the elderly consider it a blessing in disguise.
[Raghunandan Sharma, Local Marriage Participant]:
"We feel that this is a better way of celebrating and also a more
economical way. But yea, the fear of Maoists is there and they do disrupt our
celebrations and exert pressure on us to stop such celebrations."
People are also starting to take part in mass marriages so that they stay in a group.
The Maoists say they are fighting for the rights of poor peasants and
landless laborers, But they routinely call strikes, attack government property, and
target local politicians.
Their influence now stretches across large parts of rural eastern, central and southern India.
Thousands of people have been killed since the Maoists began their
insurgency in the late 1960s.
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Tags: ntd maoist india gaya force marriage ostentation garland
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