Border tension scuttles Rajasthan man’s marriage in Pakistan

The groom and the bride’s families decided to postpone the wedding and hope to solmenise it in a peaceful atmosphere some time later.

Indo-Pak tension played spoilsport on Saturday, scuttling a Rajasthan man’s plan to cross the border for his marriage on March 8.

Mahendra Singh of Barmer district in Rajasthan was forced to cancel his to Pakistan’s Sindh province for his marriage due to rising tension between India and Pakistan. (HT PHOTO)

Mahendra Singh (23), a resident of Khejad Ka Paar village in the border district of Barmer had planned to take the Thar Express to Pakistan on Saturday to tie the knot with Chagan Kanwar of Sinoi village in Amarkot district of Sindh province. Five other family members were also set to travel with him.

But soaring tension between India and Pakistan forced the family to cancel the marriage for now.

Mahendra and Chagan Kanwar were engaged about three years ago and both the families recently decided to solemnise the marriage on March 8. The groom and five members of his family had obtained Pakistani visas for 90 days. The visas came into effect from February 14, the day on which Indo-Pak tension began to spiral following the suicide bombing in Pulwama in Kashmir which killed 40 CRPF troopers. The tension reached a peak following an Indian air strike on a Jasih-e-Mohammad camp in Pakistan and the subsequent downing of an Indian Air Force fighter plane over Pakistan and the capture of its pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman before he was released.

With no sign of tension easing, Mahendra’s family decided to cancel the marriage and spoke with the bride’s family which also had the same opinion. The groom’s family eventually cancelled their tickets for Pakistan.

“My marriage was fixed about a month back. After that we made all preparations and distributed invitation cards to the relatives,” Mahendra said. “We got the visas for Pakistan and also booked tickets in the Thar Express. We will now plan the marriage during a peaceful time.”

Cross-border marriages are common among Rajput, Meghwal, Bheel, Sindhi and Khatri communities in the

Border districts Barmer and Jaisalmer. Across the border in Pakistan’s Sindh province, many people in places like Meethi, Khokhrapar, Chachro and Mirpur are related to Rajasthanis through marriage.

The Thar Express is a preferred mode of transport for such families on either side of the border to visit each other.