Wedding at Gun Point!

And I thought it happens only in Manipur.

Samman, an educated guy from Mumbai visits a friend in Bihar at a wedding. There, he meets Kakul, the pretty daughter of a politico-business magnate from Patna and charms her with his flirtatious ways. So far, so good. But soon realizes that he is a consenting, yet mute spectator, at his own wedding with Kakul at gunpoint! [more]

In Bihar, in perfect opposite to dowry system, if a guy is liked by the daughter of someone high and mighty, it is mighty easy to get the boy's consent for marriage. In Manipur, if a girl can pull the right strings, it is not at all uncommon to see guys being forced to get married to the girl. Happened that, a girl turns up on a guys wedding, much like movies, with militants, and get forcibly wed to that guy coz they were seeing each other at some point of time.

But then Bihar and Manipur are a lot similar. Similar ailments, albeit different symptoms. Poverty, political breakdown, economic famine and goons. Who once said that a place where Policemen are prosperous can never be peaceful..? And Policemen in both states are very prosperous indeed.

Gandhigiri in Manipur

6 years and still fasting. This iron willed Woman from Manipur, Irom Sharmila Chanu has been fasting for the past 6 years while we were amused by the antics of Munnabhai and circuit. If India can be so moved by Munnabhai re-living Gandhijee, Who is is this innocent who has been following the footsteps of Gandhi asking for such a small thing as the right to live as a free Indian, without the fear of getting dragged out in the night, or an armymen pushing the Muzzle of a gun up your chin for as much walking suspiciously.

Oh by the way Indians living in manipur can be shot to death on mere suspicion, and there will be no questions asked. One maybe arrested without as much as an arrest warrant. All because of a Law enacted by the British to quell Rebel Indians during the British Raj, Called the Armed Forces Special Power Act, or AFSPA. The same law is being enforced in a Free Indian State, and all Sharmila Chanu has been fasting for is for the removal of that Draconian Law.

There was a nice editorial on Monday's Times of India on Sharmila, Gandhigiri and AFSPA. I couldn't find the link on the TOI site, such user-unfriendly site .


By the way, on other opposite pole of Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army hoisted the First Flag of a Free India in Moirang, Manipur.