Towards social harmony in Odisha
The Odisha government’s decision to promote inter-caste marriages is praiseworthy and timely. A substantial hike in the financial incentive from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh apart, the Naveen Patnaik administration has put the whole application system online to take the initiative closer to people. As per the revised scheme, marriages between upper caste Hindus and those from Scheduled Castes will come under the ambit of the incentive.
It is meant for those marrying for the first time, though widow and widower brides and grooms will also be eligible for the assistance that would be disbursed within 60 days of applying. The government too would provide incentives for the purchase of land, other household assets and the start of a business. The Scheduled Castes account for 17% of the population, but caste sentiments are not as pronounced in the state as they are in some other parts of the country.
Still, the measure will go a long way in furthering social integration, which is its stated objective. In the new-age economy, caste prejudices are on the wane and the Odisha government has rightly embraced the cause based on the social equity principles of Dr B R Ambedkar. In 2017, the Centre had set a path by removing the income ceiling in its Dr Ambedkar Scheme for Social Integration through Inter-Caste Marriage. Last year, the Maharashtra government too raised the grant from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2.5 lakh.
States like Tamil Nadu and Kerala too have incentivised inter-caste marriages through benefits and other support systems. In the last two years, over 1,200 couples have already availed the benefit of the inter-caste marriage incentives in Odisha.
But for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, known for his welfare-based development model that covers all strata of society, this might have been no more than a revision of an old scheme. He has hoped it would bring in social harmony, which has been a cornerstone of his administration for the last 20 years. Idealistic as well as laudable, it will be another addition to the Gandhian values he espouses in his governance system.