Runaway couple ties knot during ward meeting

Shilpa P. | NT

Mysuru: A ward meeting (ward sabhe) became a platform for the wedding of two lovers at Haradanahalli village of Nanjangud taluk of Mysuru district on Monday.

Twenty-four-year-old Basavaraju and 19-year-old Suchithra got married at this unusual venue. While the couple were in love, their parents had opposed the relationship even though they belonged to the same community. The couple then eloped three days ago, and their parents had sought police intervention. When the couple returned to the village, there was a fight between the two families, both hailing from farming background.

Meanwhile, Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) M.C. Mahadevswamy, gram panchayat president Sundarappa and three ward members who had come to the village to attend a ward meeting, tried to intervene and pacified the two warring families.

They even convinced them to get couple married at the ward meeting venue itself. Thus a ward meeting venue got converted into a wedding venue. The meeting ended on a happy note with the couple happily exchanging the garland and undergo other wedding formalities.

The panchayat officials and around 200 villagers, who had gathered for ward meeting, became witnesses to the wedding. The elated couple was later blessed by their respective parents. Thus a runaway wedding had a fairy tale ending.

Mahadevswamy later told News Trail that they have told the couple to get their wedding registered officially, and their parents have been advised not to fight. This wedding has made us contemplate on hosting simple weddings in our gram panchayat and ward meetings to help farmers from underprivileged families. This wedding has become a first step in that regard, he added.