Earlier this week, a wedding made news; especially on the internet news. Tina Dabi, IAS topper of Batch 2015 got married to the runner up of the same batch, Athar Amir-ul-Shafi. Media hailed this marriage; calling it breaking of a social "taboo" and what not. Rahul Gandhi congratulated the couple calling them "inspiration to all Indians in this age of growing intolerance and communal hatred". That was the 'tone' most media also reported the wedding.
Why was this wedding highlighted by media? Because the bride was a Dalit Hindu and the groom was a Muslim - that was so unusual and path-breaking for the media that it could not stop singing in its praise. If we look at the fine prints, this case is peculiar due to entirely different reasons.
First, was it really a new trend? "Muslim boy and Hindu girl" tie the knot in a "love marriage" - is it really a new trend? This trend is as ancient as arrival of Muslim invaders in India. When male Afghan mercenaries came as part of armies and if their leader chose to get settled in India (e.g. Mughals), it was natural that they would be able to find only Hindu girls to marry. Speaking of love - Akbar married Jodhabai; and from most recent 'filmy' memory, Alauddin Khilji waged a war in an attempt to marry 'Padmavati'. History is sick of this trend for those who care about history. And some people were so sick of this old trend that they called it "love jihad" and brought the matter to the court. I am mentioning all this just to prove how old and boring trend this has been. A real new "inspirational" (for Rahul Gandhi) trend would have been if a Hindu boy married a Muslim girl and if they actually got to liveand their marriage survived till they die of natural causes).
Secondly, Tina Dabi was hailed as a 'Dalit' girl and inspiration for the community. Let us see how 'Dalit' she had been. Her mother is a former Indian Engineering Service (IES) officer and her father is a serving IES officer. She did her education in Carmel Convent School and graduated from Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram college. Tells that she is from a high-class family and got top education and then if she topped IAS entrance exam, we should salute her talent, not her caste. There is nothing 'dalit' about her; as the media reports. If people from privileged background like her are called 'dalit' (downtrodden); it is an insult to the real 'dalits'.
For me, these two hypocrisies are more interesting than the wedding.
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