MP: Villagers declare social boycott over love marriages; authorities step in
Ratlam (PTI): Residents of a village in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district have announced a social boycott of couples who elope for marriage, prompting authorities to order action against those who issued the diktat.
A video related to the issue has gone viral on social media.
The diktat was issued on January 23 in Pancheva, about 50 kilometres from the district headquarters, with residents claiming the social boycott decision was taken after eight couples from the village eloped and got married in the past six months.
A video showed a man announcing that young men and women who elope and marry for love, as well as their families, will be socially boycotted and not invited to any event. Even those helping such persons will face the same action, he further stated.
Other actions, as declared by the man in the clip, included denying employment to such couples as well as daily necessities like milk.
Collector Misha Singh on Monday said people in the video have been identified and the police have been asked to take action against them.
"Our probe has indicated that the decision against love marriages was taken not by the Gram Sabha, but by the villagers themselves," she added.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vivek Kumar Lal said these people are being "bound over" (making it legally binding on a person to maintain good conduct and not disturb peace).
Further action will be taken after a detailed investigation, he added.
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Unruly scenes witnessed in Punjab Assembly
Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab Assembly on Friday witnessed high drama on Friday after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira made an allegedly objectionable remark against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during an intense argument over the alleged use of mobile phone in the house by the legislator.
During the one-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, Mann accused Khaira of using a mobile phone when Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out an official resolution on the revision of wages.
After rising from his seat, the chief minister pointed to the speaker, claiming that Khaira is busy on his mobile phone and urged him to ask the Congress MLA what Sandhwan had said about the resolution.
The speaker then asked Khaira to maintain order in the house and listen to the resolution carefully.
Mann then asked Khaira, "Why don't you go out and then use it (mobile phone)," which led to a strong verbal altercation during which the opposition MLA hurled an accusation against the chief minister. Meanwhile, the speaker appealed for order and insisted that the chair be addressed.
However, both Mann and Khaira continued arguing and could be seen pointing fingers at each other as the proceedings of the house were disrupted.
The AAP MLAs also rose from their seats with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemning Khaira for his conduct and demanded action against him.
Cheema further alleged that Khaira "always tries to disturb the house" as he spoke about his conduct in the assembly.
The incident occurred as an official resolution on the revision of wages was presented at the special session by Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond who said it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers' Day.
"Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat," the resolution read.
As per the resolution, "The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages.
On this sacred occasion of May Day, in this special session of the legislative assembly, this house proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers and strongly recommends to the government to take a decision regarding the increase of minimum wages for workers, so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged." PRK
