Poverty is like a punishment for a crime you didn’t commit. One cannot really fathom the full extent of daily struggles and hardships that a person living under the poverty line faces. And getting off a daughter married under such circumstances is one of the most difficult tasks for a poor father.
Realizing this too well, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh, Anirudh Singh decided to take the responsibility of getting the young daughter of a poor laborer married to a suitable groom. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the officer shared details about the same.
WEDDING CALLED OFF
A resident of Awajapur, Dhanapur in Uttar Pradesh, Shikha Yadav’s wedding was fixed to a man who had ulterior motives. Just a few days before the wedding was to be held, the groom’s family increased their dowry demands and started pressurizing the girl’s father to give more.
Being a poor laborer, the father of the bride was already putting in his entire life’s savings for his daughter’s wedding but that didn’t seem to satisfy the groom’s family, who kept increasing their demands. Exasperated by his inability to give more, the groom broke off the wedding, much to the father’s dismay.
“A broken marriage is a very big deal for them in society. Her father was depressed and came to me for help. He explained the entire situation to me and asked me for some financial help. I told him not to worry and decided to get the girl, who is like a sister to me, married to a suitable groom, with pure joy and celebration,” Mr. Singh told Indian Masterminds.
POLICE TO THE RESCUE
Mr. Singh took the entire responsibility, right from finding a groom to organizing the wedding. He found a suitable groom for her, who is completing his education and will soon get a good job.
All the rituals in the wedding from the bride’s side were performed by the police personnel of Chandauli police. Even when the baraat procession arrived at the wedding venue, it was Mr. Singh and his team who welcomed the groom and his family with garlands.
The policemen brought the bride to the stage in a traditional manner and stood by her side during the jaimala ceremony, like her brothers. Not just the families of the couple, but the entire district and people from faraway places participated in the wedding. They blessed the couple with abundant wishes and praised the Chandauli police’s initiative.
Shikha got married on Saturday, April 23, with full pomp and fanfare. The wedding was conducted without any dowry, which also relieved the bride’s father from a burden. Mr. Singh and his fellow officers and friends took care of everything, from catering to return gifts. Chandauli Superintendent of Police Ankur Aggarwal, ASP Sukhram Bharti, and MLA Sushil Singh also attended the wedding, where police were seen wearing saffron turbans instead of official caps with their khaki uniforms.
ANOTHER WEDDING SOON
Another family’s struggle came to light in Uttar Pradesh after a woman committed suicide when her daughter’s marriage was called off because of their inability to give dowry to the groom’s family.
“The groom started demanding more and more dowry as the wedding date came closer and when the girl’s family explained their situation to them and expressed their inability to give any more dowry, the groom’s family called off the wedding,” Mr. Singh informed.
The girl’s mother could not bear the news and fell into depression. She remained restless throughout the night and decided to take the extreme step of committing suicide. Her body was found by the family members early in the morning, hanging from a fan.
The incident took place in Raipura village and, on hearing the news, Mr. Singh could not stop himself and visited the girl’s home. He assured the family that the girl is now his responsibility, and he will search for a suitable groom for her and get her married into a good household.
Mr. Singh’s efforts to help poor families marry off their daughters have drawn attention from far and wide and are being appreciated by all.
