Wedding in Interior Sind
Normally wedding in interior Sind (Sind is 2nd largest province of Pakistan) is arranged by the heads of the family most of the time girl’s fate is sealed the moment she is born. Her feature husband is chosen by her father that is mostly her cousin or any other close relative. Some times even before the birth of a child their marriages are fixed. It is a simple agreement between brothers: If my wife gives birth to a boy and your wife to a girl she will be married to my son and if I have girl I will give her to your son.
Things get more complicated in this sort of agreement when onside decides not to value their words. This usually happens when boy grows up to be a drug addict or a killer. Then girl’s family refuses to give away their dearly daughter
. In case there is a small family who do not have any suitable match in their family then they arrange the marriage of their daughter or son in their neighborhood. This is also done without asking from boy or girl.
Wedding in Interior Sind V/S Wedding in other parts of Pakistan
Having a baby girl in other parts of Pakistan like Punjab, Sukkur, and Karachi etc is considered much more burden as compared to interior Sind. This is because they have to give her huge number of household equipments, jewelry and cloths in the shape of Jahaiz at the time of her marriage. On the contrary in interior Sind, Jahaiz does not have much priority in traditional Sindhi marriage. Only few things that are used in daily life are given, with little bit of gold depending on economic conditions of bride’s family.
The dark side
Sind’s marriage system also has a black side not known to outer world. I think this is new form of slave trading! It is rapidly increasing and has evolved to the place where it is not even considered as crime in lower class and poor families.
In this type of marriage there is a middle man called Dallal who arranges meeting between both families of boy and girl. In that meeting price for the girl is set that is about 1 Lac Pakistani Rupees that makes about $1180. After Boy’s family has made total payment then the marriage is arranged. When she is wedded she belongs to her husband as his property and does not have to do anything with her previous family, because for them she was just like baby cow they raised her and sold her. She lives or dies is none of their concern anymore. They don’t even care who she is going to marry with. Even if that guy is old geezer or he may be blind or mentally unstable even if he is drug addict they don’t care. He will get the girl as long as he pays good price. More beautiful the girl is more her price.
Emerging light of hope
The Government hasn’t taken any action against such marriages but they have totally forbid under age marriages in which bride is less than 18 years of age. Before this law, even 8 year old girls getting married was a common thing here in this region, but in past few years it has changed because common people have stood against it. Nowadays when this sort of wedding takes place someone informs the police and they arrest both heads of family not only that but every person attending the party is arrested.
Number of love marriages has dramatically increased in past few years all thanks to Facebook and growing use of mobile phones. In Pakistan most people have more then one SIM card. This marriage is simply a game of luck boys and girls with lots and lots of extra time are involved in this sort of marriages. It begins with dialing random numbers and when your call is received by a girl you hit jackpot. They start talking for few times and period of this chit chat increases in hours daily. If you are lucky enough you get the girl or you go back at dialing random numbers in hope that someday a fairy! will receive your call.
