Mass wedding defies economic hardships for 122 Hindu couples in Pakistan

In a dazzling spectacle under a chequered marquee adorned with chandeliers, 122 Hindu couples, facing financial constraints preventing them from having individual weddings, found solace in a mass ceremony held in Karachi, a city in Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Despite the challenges posed by poverty and socio-economic discrimination, the joint nuptials on Sunday became a vibrant celebration, showcasing resilience and unity among the couples.

Kalpana Devi, a 25-year-old bride draped in traditional red attire, expressed her joy, saying, “I am getting married here because my parents are poor. They cannot afford the wedding expenses.”

The extravagant costs associated with weddings in Pakistan, where dowries are customary, often delay the marriages of women. Sateesh Parmar, the 25-year-old brother of bride Neha Parmar, shared, “This is a good opportunity for me as my financial state is very weak. I was not able to raise funds for the wedding.”

Hosted by the Pakistan Hindu Council, the mass ceremony aimed to provide an affordable alternative for couples facing financial challenges.

The Council reported that there are eight million Hindus among Pakistan’s 240 million people, according to last year’s census. However, rights groups warn of socio-economic discrimination and instances of forced conversion to Islam through marriage, particularly affecting Hindu women.

In the face of a financial crisis, marginalized Hindus in Pakistan struggle for equal opportunities. UN experts reported a rise in incidents where young girls, as young as 13, were “kidnapped from their families, trafficked to locations far from their homes, made to marry men sometimes twice their age, and coerced to convert to Islam.”

Hindu activist Shiva Kacchi revealed disturbing trends, stating that he spoke with over 170 families whose daughters were forcibly converted in 2022. However, conflicting narratives emerge as police claim that some girls eloped with affluent Muslim men to escape poverty.

Sundarta Rathor, another Hindu activist involved in organizing the mass wedding, highlighted the challenges faced by young girls in impoverished communities.

“Young girls have many desires, and our parents cannot afford to fulfill them. The combination of economic challenges and limited education makes them susceptible to external pressures.”

This mass wedding not only symbolizes a collective stand against financial difficulties but also sheds light on the broader issues of economic disparity and discrimination faced by Hindus in Pakistan.