PAKADUA – THE KIDNAP FOR FORCED MARRIAGES
Lagan is the name given to the Indian wedding season, which begins in February – the date follows the Hindu superstitions calendar.
Although many Indians see the date as something to be celebrated, what has prevailed in Bihar, a state located in the east of the country, is fear.
According to El País, the number of kidnaps of men for forced marriages has increased at an alarming rate. To better understanding about what is happening in Bihar, we have to understand some particular characteristic of Indian marriages, especially with regard to brides.
Traditionally, in India, the bride’s family pays a dowry in cash, or properties, as a sign of gratitude for marrying their daughter.
Dote is practiced by people, regardless of their religion, and in addition to having the value of women measured in terms of money, dowry places great financial pressure on the wife’s family.
Because of poverty, few families have the sums required by the groom’s family. So in order for their daughters to be within what is socially correct, families find in ” ” — abduction for marriage, in the local language of Bihar — their last resort.
According to Indian statistics, Bihar is the state that most kidnap complaint of boys under 18 years. A report by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation states that in 2015 the number of men between the ages of 18 and 30 abducted in that state was 1,096, representing 17 percent of India’s total abductions.
Our prayers are for God to bless India with salvation, peace, and prosperity.