Gadchiroli March 27 (District Correspondent) As many as 127 tribal couples were married in a grand mass marriage ceremony that was organized by the District Police under its ‘Dadalora Khidki’ programme and Maitri Sanstha on the Abhinav Lawns here on Sunday. The 7 couples of them were the surrendered Naxalites.
The ceremony was organized to help the tribals as their financial position is not sound and to maintain their culture. Gadchiroli Chimur Lok Sabha MP Ashok Nete, Gadchiroli MLA Dr. Deorao Holi, Armori MLA Krishna Gajbhe, Additional Secretary of Govt. of India Rajkamal Pathak, former Chairperson of Central Govt’s Social Welfare Bord Ms. Shubha Mishra, DIG of Gadchiroli Range Sandeep Patil, SP Nilotpal, Additional SPs Kumar Chinta, Anuj Tare, Yatish Deshmukh, SDPOs Pranil Gilda, Mayur Bhujbal, President of Maitri Sanstha Prof. Sanjay Bhende, Pramod Mendke, Niranjan Wasekar were prominently present.
The couples were given all the necessary material including marriage clothes, ornaments etc by the police department. They were also given utensils and household items as gifts. Around 2,500 people including the relatives of the couples and other citizens attended this mega marriage ceremony and blessed the couples.
The programme continued for two days. On the first day marriage material was distributed to all the couples and actual marriages were performed on the second day.
All the guests and police officers delivered speeches and extended their best wishes to the newly wed couples and wished them a happy married life.
. A grand procession of the couples was taken out in the city that was welcomed by showering flowers at different places. The police jawans also danced to the tune of music and band during this unique ‘baraat’ which attracted the attention of all the people. The procession finally culminated into a mass marriage ceremony.
The arrangement of meals and pandals for the couples and their relatives was made by the organizers. The pandals were named after the tribal revolutionaries and freedom fighters including Birsa Munda, Veer Baburao Shedmake, Narayansingh Uike and Rani Durgawati.
Mr. Kumar chinta, Additional SP made an introductory speech and gave the details of the ceremony. Prof. Madhuri Yawalkar and Ashok Mane conducted the programme and SDPO Praneel Gilda proposed the vote of thanks.
The police department has been organizing such mass marriage ceremonies for the last few years. In 2021 as many as 68 marriages of the tribal couples were performed and in the year 2022 as many as 117 marriages were solemnized.
All the SDPOs, Police Station Officers, officials of the Dhananjay Patil of the Civic Action Programme, officials of all the Police Assistance Centres took pains for the success of the ceremony.
