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 moreeconomical way. But yea, the fear of Maoists is there and they do disrupt ourcelebrations 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 andlandless laborers, But they routinely call strikes, attack government property, andtarget 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 theirinsurgency in the late 1960s.

Channel: News & Politics
Uploaded: December 31, 1969 at 3:59 pm
Author: NTDTV

Length: 01:29
Rating: 4.00
Views: 1331

Tags: force  garland  gaya  india  maoist  marriage  ntd  ostentation  

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