Efforts on to ensure interstate marriages are not lost in translation

In the last few years, at least 60 boys of Kunnummal block panchayat, in Kuttiady, alone entered into interstate alliances.
Malayalam training class conducted by Samvedya Arts & Culture Society at Kuttiady
Malayalam training class conducted by Samvedya Arts & Culture Society at Kuttiady

KOZHIKODE:  If Chetan Bhagat had got wind of what’s happening in several parts of rural Kozhikode, he probably would have based his novel, ‘Two States...’ on the goings-on here. Men, who are struggling to find brides in the state, are trying their luck outside. And one of the key reasons for their situation is educational disparity -- with more and more women focusing on higher studies, unlike in the past.

In the last few years, at least 60 boys of Kunnummal block panchayat, in Kuttiady, alone entered into interstate alliances. Though this has meant turning a blind eye to traditional barriers like caste and socio-economic standing, language was proving to be one hurdle that newlyweds struggled to get past.

But, this is likely to change, thanks to a programme, run by the Kuttiady Samvedya Arts & Culture Society, to teach brides from neighbouring states basic Malayalam. Chandran Palayad, secretary of the society, said it’s mainly Kuttiady and nearby areas that are witnessing the tread of youths searching for marriage unions in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

In recent years, at least a dozen youngsters from these areas have tied the knot to girls from Kodagu, Pollachi and other places. And they were mostly facilitated by wedding brokers. In a survey, we found over 60 instances of interstate marriages within Kunnummal block panchayat in the last four years. Similar marriages were also reported in nearby local bodies,” he added.

Residents hail cross-border marriages

Cross-border marriages have been welcomed by locals who see them as a solution to girls declining to marry early and also insisting that their potential partners be equally educated and possess good, steady jobs. But the language barrier was always a concern.

Brides from outside the state struggle to communicate with her husbands and in-laws and this is affecting their marriage as well, said Chandran, secretary of Kuttiady Samvedya Arts & Culture Society. “The idea of the training programme was conceived when one of my friends who had married a girl from Pol lachi , in Tamil Nadu, shared his experience.

We initially conducted a survey and found that Kayakkodi panchayat alone has over a dozen such couples,” he said. “We began the training with 10 participants from the panchayat. Later on, many girls from neighbouring villages, including Velam, Narippatta and Kavilumpara, also enrolled for the programme. We now have 22 trainees, mostly natives of Kodagu in Karnataka and Hosur and Pollachi in Tamil Nadu. The sessions are held on Sundays considering their convenience,” he said.

Writer and social observer A K Peethambaran Master says local disparity in education seems to be driving the trend of interstate marriages. Most educated girls prefer white-collar workers as spouses, forcing youths engaged in casual jobs to look elsewhere for life partners, he observed.

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