A forum to save lovers from panchayat's ire

Few youngsters in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut town, which lies in the Jat-dominated western region, have recently formed an organisation with a view to lending support to the love-struck couples.

The organisation—Uttarrajyiya Navnirman Sena (UNS) – comprises mainly the youths, who strongly feel that there is nothing wrong in “falling in love” and “marrying outside their caste and community.”

“Our main aim is to assure those in love and who want to marry outside their caste and community that we are there to support them wholeheartedly,” said UNS chief Amit Jani.
“Not only will we support the lovers but we also plan to honour them,” Jani said. His organisation will be holding a function in Meerut for this purpose on Tuesday. “Such couples will be felicitated,” the UNS president said.

The idea is to send out a message to those who were opposed to love and inter-caste and inter-community marriages that there were many who were with such couples, he added.
Jani said a large number of youths have joined the organisation. “We know the task is very difficult given the attitude of the caste panchayats,” he added.

Many lovers have in the past been killed for defying the panchayats’ diktats in parts of UP and Haryana.