Marriage for equality

Deepak Lisam *

Many welfare programs, laws and policies, incentives, etc., have been sanctioned and implemented for the development of the society, especially targeting the poor, the lower sections of the society, in slum and rural areas.

But because of the intrigues and internal frictions occurring behind the scene, its effectiveness is not appreciated; and we know what that is. It is complicated to comprehend what these politicians and high offices are doing.

They should try to grasp the reality that they have been given this rare golden opportunity to claim for immortality by dint of their selfless services and sacrifices for the en-masse.

If they forget about their self-interests and perform yeoman's service for the suffering people, they would become an icon of the society and consequently, would be immortalized.

Look at the next 100 years. Mr. Powerful, what will you have ? - your plentiful wealth for your own generations but forgetting who you were and what you did and on the other hand , living forever in human society by thinking about others' generations at the expense of your little generations.

The choice is up to you. Be selfish for your name at least and you will do wonder.

Alright, let's no go astray and now, let us come to our main focus. I could not deny that men are generally selfish.

So, coming to the ground reality, the philosophical idea of equality will not work when one becomes stranger to another - what I mean to say is that the path of equality can be somewhat covered when there is a feeling of belongingness in one's mind. My idea of bringing equality might be somewhat ambigous to many.

Let me decipher what I am conveying by introducing a powerful sociological tool of 'marriage'. Let us analyse how we can relate these two independent entities marriage and equality. In order to bring our study to this aspect, we need to reverse the proverb, "Birds of a feather flock together". Yes, it is indeed a true proverb in this present society of wide disparity between the rich and the poor.

But in order to bring some significant change in this human society, we need to break this status quo and take up mission of bringing two unequals together in order to bring the feeling of belongingness. Since man is a selfish being, he will not be hesitate to disproportionate his wealth for the welfare of his dear ones. This only can be achieved by 'marriage'.

In this context, let us construct a scene/story of social reality - Mr. 'Y' is a wealthy, rich and capable man, or to say, the real man of this era and Miss 'X' is a poor, incapable maiden, living in a poor village. Suppose by chance, the two got married to each other.

What we will see is the alleviation of the family of the poor maiden. Miss X, by virtue of capability of Mr. Y. To sum up, we can say whoever or whatever belongs to Miss X will see some light of the day since they now become part of Mr. Y.

This is how one family can assist and uplift the status of another family, to become two comparable families. If this story happens to thousands of families, imagine the development and equality, ahead of us.

I clearly understand that no third party should interfere in two adult's marriage. But I am proposing this idea of marriage between the two unequals, as a message to the en-masse to draw this dogma of social aspect into consideration in choosing the life partners, so as to use this platform of marriage to bring forth equal status in this society.

Frankly speaking, the public initiatives and schemes taken up for looking into the matter of alleviation of the poor and the aggrieved are only for appeasement and it is aimed at populism.

So, the question of how a social reality of equality can be brought up in this prevalent society, is vexing question .So in my opinion, short term process of schemes, programs brought up cannot be the remedy.

This schemes and welfare programs taken up are only witnessing a partial part of the poor. In order to give a long-lasting effect of social equality the whole integral part of the poor needs to be intensively studied and known.

But this acknowledgement of the whole integral part of the poor is possible only when the authority concerned is selfless and has the commitment to do. The service at the expense of his/her self-interest. But this attitude on the part of the authority is a rare quality since, everyone cannot be Gandhi or Ambedkar.

In this issue, we must find another alternative way for the actual fulfillment of the wishes of the poor, al least for some of them. If we cannot do away with the selfishness, then we must at least apply this selfishness of mankind, in somewhat good way.

So, I conclude by saying that I have no right to impose my opinion on the marriage of two adults, but I am own expressing my opinion so that this very little but powerful idea of marriage between the poor and the rich, can be somewhat taken into consideration for the betterment of the inferior of the two, in order to uphold the ideals of equality not only in political sphere but also in social and economic spheres.

Like the promotion of inter-caste marriage to annihilate untouchability and inequality, the society would do good if there is supportive mindset of marriage between the two unequals the rich and the poor.