KANNUR: Finally, society appears to have awakened, but at the cost of the life of a youth. The practice of ‘marriage ragging’ or uncontrolled acts of vulgar behaviour from youngsters in Malabar, especially in Kannur and Thalassery regions, had reached a point where the relatives of brides and bridegrooms were left helpless, cursing themselves for being a part of the farcical charade.
On February 13, C M Jishnu, 26, of Eachur, died after a bomb hurled by one of his friends against a rival gang lost direction and fell on his head. Jishnu’s friends were trying to settle scores after two gangs from Thottada clashed on the previous night at the bridegroom’s house. The death has shaken up everyone, with political leaders and local body authorities stepping in to set up monitoring committees at ward levels to put an end to the menace of ‘marriage ragging’.
“Marriage is a special occasion, for the couple and for their parents, relatives, and friends. It is unfortunate that some youngsters are spoiling the sanctity and joy of the occasion. This has to be curbed and the party will initiate steps towards that end,” said CPM district secretary M V Jayarajan.
The absurd pranks at times turn dirty, leaving relatives and family members shocked. In one such incident at Anchukandi, of Chirackulam ward in Kannur, the bridegroom’s friends took him to the marriage venue in a coffin, covering him with white clothes.
The bride’s relatives were shell-shocked and some elders intervened to rein in the crazy youngsters. They took away the coffin forcibly and threw it into a canal nearby. In another incident, the bridegroom’s friends — who were driving him to the venue — forced the bridegroom to get down at Mahe and invited him for a drink. As they got drunk, they could not reach the venue on time and the marriage was cancelled.
At some places, the elders in the family and the senior citizens of the region manage to prevent the situation from going awry. But at many places, the ragging does happen, mostly perpetrated by friends of bridegrooms.
Their acts of purported fun include bursting crackers just behind the bride when she is least expecting it, forcing the couple to use footwear smeared with oil and broken eggs, and loosening the nuts and bolts of doors and windows of the newly married. In one instance, the bride lost her mental equilibrium and needed long hours of counselling to get back to normal life.
“The youngsters, under the influence of alcohol and drugs, are causing immeasurable pain and humiliation to many families. We will set up monitoring committees at ward levels to stop such practices,” said district panchayat president P P Divya.
Congress district president Martin George said it is shocking to see youngsters reach marriage venues with bombs and swords to settle scores. “From where do they get bombs? We would campaign hard against such bad practices,” he said.
Now, with the police and local administrations springing into action, many meetings have been taking place across the district. Two days ago, the Kannur district panchayat decided to set up monitoring committees. The Thalasserry municipality too decided to initiate steps to prevent the menace.
Fun or fuss?
The acts of purported fun by the friends of bridegrooms include bursting crackers just behind the bride when she is least expecting it, forcing the couple to use footwear smeared with oil and broken eggs, and loosening the nuts and bolts of doors and windows of the newly-married. In one instance, the bride lost her mental equilibrium and needed long hours of counselling to get back to normal life.