Ruling 36-years old MLA marrying a 19-years teenage Brahmin girl: From Swathi to Saundharya, what really happens?
Anti-Brahmin attitude and crimes in Tamilnadu: In Tamilnadu, the Brahmins have been under attack by many ways and they have been tolerating, bearing and enduring them. The attacks vary from verbal abuses with filthy language to murderous attack to actual murder. Because of the threatening, aggressive and anti-Brahmin government, law enforcing agencies and the existing legal system, many of such crimes have been suppressed. During the aggressive anti-Brahmin campaigns, processions and attacks, –
- The Brahmins were abused with vulager language and typical questions –
- EVR / Periyar started the terror command, “If you happened to see a snake and Brahmin, leave the snake and kill the Brahmin.
- “Ey Kudumi……….(oh the tufted man)” shouted at w henever, a Brahmin was fund on the road.
- “Is mami (your wife) all right at home?”
- Boys used to face questions, “Is your sistet comfortable at the house?”
- The extreme abusive comments cannot be registered.
- They had taken such comments on the placards during their processions also.
- Ganapathy like reporters attacked, sacred thread cut and beaten;
- Two poor Brahmins at the Aydhya Mantap were attackd with swords, without any reason.
- Swathi was murdered at the Nungambakkam railway station for one-sided love.
These are mentioned only for illustrative purpose and not exhaustive, as most of the incidences have not been reported or registered anywhere for study. Under such circumstances, the news of ruling 36-years old MLA marrying a 19-years teenage Brahmin girl hits headlies.
Swaminathan, father claims that her daughter Suandharya was abducted: AIADMK MLA from Kallakurichi A Prabhu’s marriage with a 19-year-old Brahmin girl has landed in a controversy with the bride’s father complaining that his daughter was abducted by the legislator[1]. The MLA, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste, had married S Soundarya at a simple ceremony in the presence of his family members on 05-10-2020, Monday amid drama as the girl’s father attempted to self-immolate outside the venue[2]. The police, who arrived at the spot, stopped him[3]. Saminathan was later taken to the station and booked under 309 IPC for attempting to kill himself[4]. Swaminathan, the father of the girl who works as a priest at a temple in Thiyagadurugam, 235 km from here, in the newly-formed Kallakurichi district, has also moved the Madras High Court accusing Prabhu of abducting his daughter. The court would hear the petition on Wednesday. Swaminathan has moved court alleging that local AIADMK MLA, A. Prabhu abducted his daughter and married her forcibly[5]. A habeas corpus petition has been filed before the Madras High Court by the priest of Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi Temple Swaminathan stating that his daughter S Soundarya was abducted by him[6].
Married Saundharya appeared in a video: With her father maintaining that she was kidnapped, Soundarya released a video message on Tuesday afternoon saying her marriage with the MLA took place with her “consent” and that she was neither abducted nor threatened[7]. “I and MLA Prabhu have been in love for the past four to six months. Since my parents objected to my relationship with Prabhu, I stormed out of my house and has now married him. The marriage took place with my consent and not because of any threat. I was neither abducted nor threatened,” the 19-year-old said in her message. The girl’s father said that the family opposed the marriage not because of the groom’s caste but due to the age difference between the two[8]. The first-time legislator is 36-year-old, while the girl is just 19. Prabhu was close to Soundarya’s family for the past 10 years and had enjoyed a good rapport with them and that is how the couple came to know each other.
Prabhu comes out with his version of getting married: Prabhu told Deccan Herald that his father-in-law was “being tutored” by someone and is making “baseless allegations” against him and his wife Soundarya. The legislator said the family has not been able to conduct any post-wedding ritual due to the controversy owing to allegations raised by Soundarya’s father. The MLA further said though he had known Soundarya for the past 10 years, their relationship began only a few months ago. “The girl’s family did not accept our relationship, but the wedding took place with the consent of my family members. My wife is an adult and she took the decision consciously. To say I abducted her is absurd,” the legislator said. On allegations levelled by his father-in-law, Prabhu said: “Why should I lie? If I lie, people will find out. And this is the social media age where things can change in just a fraction of second and that is the power of the media. Everyone saw what Swaminathan happened on Monday. It is only because of the allegations we are attending phone calls instead of spending time with each other.”
Prabhu explains his love with Saundharya: After his marriage, the Kalakurchi MLA posted a video and said “Soundarya and I married each other willingly and there was no coercion or abduction. The rumours that I abducted her or forced her to marry me are not true. We have been in love for the past four months……. My family and I had approached Soundarya’s family for the marriage but her family refused to give their blessings.” In the video, Prabhu goes on to say that the couple got married with the permission of his parents who were also witnesses to the wedding ceremony. S Soundarya, the newly wedded wife of the AIADMK Kalakurchi MLA says that she and her husband had been in love for the past 4-6 months and that she had not been forced or threatened into marrying the legislator.
High court asks to produce Saundharaya on 09-10-2020: The Madras High Court on 08-10-2020, Thursday directed the respective police to produce Soundarya, the wife of Kallakurichi MLA Prabhu. The oral instruction was issued after counsel for the petitioner made an urgent mention before the court on the Habeas Corpus petition moved by the girl’s father, S Swamynathan. The two-member bench of Justices MM Sundresh and D Krishnakumar issued the instructions to the public prosecutor based on the plea[9]. According to the father, the MLA and his men came in four cars and kidnapped the girl. He further added that his daughter is still pursuing her education and the MLA threatened his family to give his daughter for marriage to the MLA[10]. Swamynathan also said false complaints were made against him by MLAs father. The court recording the submissions orally instructed the state to produce the daughter along with her father in the court on 09-10-2020, Friday. However, Kalakurchi MLA A Prabhu and his wife Soundarya had posted videos stating that they got married with the permission of the MLAs parents and it was purely consensual. Now, the girl wants to go with the husband and father prefers to go on appeal.
Eagalitarian and euphoric society cannot be created with carbon copies and stereotyped humanbeigs:
- The concerned people, society and involved groups should create awareness among the youngsters about such aberrasions.
- Social deviation, abnormality and irregularities have been different from the social reformation, improvement and restructuring.
- Social reformation cannot be achieved by force, manipulations and bending of legal process with political strength.
- Social controversies, discords and conflicts cannot solve artificial egalitarian, euphoric and social conditions.
- In social processes, all cannot become carbon copies and stereotyped, as nothing would be done. Political oratory, neomodern social rhetoric and maginary social processes cannot be achieved in reality.
© Vedaprakash
09-10-2020.
[1] Deccan Herald, AIADMK Dalit MLA marries Brahmin girl; father alleges daughter was kidnapped, ETB Sivapriyan, DHNS, Chennai, OCT 06 2020, 16:11 IST, UPDATED: OCT 06 2020, 16:11 IST.
[2] https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/aiadmk-dalit-mla-marries-brahmin-girl-father-alleges-daughter-was-kidnapped-898060.html
[3] Indian Express,Tamil Nadu: Kallakurichi MLA’s secret love marriage caught in storm, Published: 06th October 2020 12:47 AM | Last Updated: 06th October 2020 12:47 AM
[4] https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2020/oct/06/tamil-nadu-kallakurichi-mlas-secret-love-marriage-caught-in-storm-2206285.html
[5] India Today,Tamil Nadu priest claims Dalit AIADMK MLA abducted, married 19-year-old daughter, couple say we are in love , Akshaya Nath, Chennai, October 6, 2020UPDATED: October 6, 2020 18:23 IST
[6] https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/tamil-nadu-kallakurichi-dalit-aiadmk-mla-aprabhu-marry-brahmin-girl-priest-family-alleges-abduction-madras-high-court-habeus-corpus-plea-1728947-2020-10-06
[7] Zee News, 36-year-old Dalit MLA marries 19-year-old Brahmin girl, stirs row, Edited By: Ananya Das, Updated: Oct 06, 2020, 23:23 PM IST
[8] https://zeenews.india.com/tamil-nadu/dalit-aiadmk-mla-a-prabhu-marries-brahmin-woman-her-father-attempts-suicide-2315313.html
[9] Indian Express, Kallakurichi MLA intercaste wedding: Produce Soundarya in court, directs HC, Published: 09th October 2020 03:11 AM | Last Updated: 09th October 2020 03:11 AM.
[10] https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2020/oct/09/kallakurichi-mla-intercaste-wedding-produce-soundarya-in-court-directs-hc-2207824.html
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