Farmers in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka are planning a protest march to raise awareness of the rural bride shortage. TASS reports this with reference to the Times of India.
According to farmers, there is a “marriage crisis” in the country, caused by the reluctance of women and their families to be tied to rural life.
Farmer Santosh, 30, said farmers do not ask for any dowry and are ready to treat potential wives like queens. However, even this does not encourage families to give up their daughters for them.
In recent years, the number of weddings in Indian villages has halved. Farmer fathers prefer to send their daughters to study in the cities or look for grooms for them among city residents with serious professions and stable incomes.
The shortage of brides in rural areas means that finding a wife is a long and difficult process for many farmers.
Experts estimate that there are about 100 million farmers in India. The exact figure is not known, as there are several different counting and recording methods.
