R. ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, APRIL 19
Though the lockdown imposed by the union government with a noble cause to safeguard millions of people from the pandemic coronavirus, it has shattered the dreams of thousands of poor youth to get married.
However, the rich and influential youth are fortunate to tie the knot with the blessings of the powers-that-be. A recent example was the marriage of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s grandson in Karnataka where the social distancing norms was thrown to the winds. Despite public criticism, Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa blessed the couple cautiously in a twitter message. However, the marriage invites wrath of netizens.
https://twitter.com/AvinjithSalian/status/1251700413817974785
One such incident was reported in a city of Uttar Pradesh recently. Sonu Kumar Chauhan, a tiles worker in Ludhiana in Punjab cycled with the dream to get married was caught by the police on his way to a tiny village Pipra Rasulpur in Maharajganj district bordering Nepal.
When he was about 150 km away from his village, he was caught by the police on duty at Balrampur city in Uttar Pradesh and sent to a quarantine centre last Sunday. His wedding was slated for April 15 in an Uttar Pradesh district bordering Nepal.
https://twitter.com/mishra19623/status/1251738993454014465
Cycling day and night for almost a week, the 24-year-old along with his three friends covered a distance of 850 km but landed in the quarantine centre.
Chauhan, who works in a tiles factory in Ludhiana, and three of his friends set out on bicycles as all other means of transportation were closed down because of the coronavirus lockdown and he had to reach home for his wedding.
“Had I reached home, about 150 km from here, there were chances that the wedding would have taken place without any fanfare but the authorities did not allow me to go home despite requests,” Chauhan explains with tears.
However, he quickly adds that health is most important and the wedding can take place later.
SP, Balrampur, Devranjan Verma said that Chauhan and his friends were stopped when they were entering the district and were sent to the quarantine centre. If their reports come out negative in 14 days, they will be allowed to continue their journey, the SP said.
