Gå ubegrenset med Magzter GOLD
Få ubegrenset tilgang til over 9000 magasiner, aviser og premiumhistorier for bare
Prøve GULL - Gratis
Thinking of love, dating and marriage on Valentine's Day
The Statesman Siliguri
|February 14, 2025
Valentine's Day is probably the right occasion to contemplate love, dating and marriage.
When I lived in India, marriages meant arranged marriages. There were occasional "love marriages" whereby a couple eloped and got married by registering at a courthouse or a couple in love persuaded their parents to organize a traditional wedding ceremony; but those were few and far between.
I was stunned to learn about the dating custom in the US after coming here. Apparently, any man can invite any woman to a dinner and/or a movie and if the woman agrees that could be the beginning of a relationship, which could evolve into an intimate one. There is no fear of what others would say or scolding from parents or social pressure to immediately get married. Virtually all marriages start with dating since there are no matrimonial ads and there is no one to arrange it.
When the famous Bengali novelist Sunil Ganguly came to the US, an American woman asked him what the young people in India did since they did not date. Mr. Ganguly wrote that he realised at that moment that there was no "youth" in India. People just jumped from being innocent children to mature adults.
I have heard about dating and various "dating apps" in India in recent years. It was a pleasant surprise to see that India has advanced enough in its cultural development to let young men and women "date" and find their spouses by themselves. I do not know what fraction of marriages result from such dating, but I wonder what dating even means in India.
Denne historien er fra February 14, 2025-utgaven av The Statesman Siliguri.
Abonner på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av kuraterte premiumhistorier og over 9000 magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FLERE HISTORIER FRA The Statesman Siliguri
The Statesman Siliguri
Doctor’s suicide: Maha doctors threaten strike
Following the tragic suicide by a 26-year-old female doctor in Satara after being repeatedly raped by a police officer and being pressurised by an MP to falsify medical reports of accused in jail, there has been a wave of anger in the medical fraternity over the issue.
1 mins
October 26, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
Empowering women
The participation ofwomenin rural development is essential forbuildingastrongeconomy andsociety. Women arevitalfor the sustainable development of rural areas, bringingadded valuetolocal communities. They are frequently the driving force behind innovation, diversification, andthe development ofnew opportunities. In short, women give life to rural areas. When ruralwomen are empowered, entire communities benefit
5 mins
October 26, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
Vintage Rohit-Kohli masterclass gives ShubmanGill first win as ODI captain
India captain Shubman Gill hailed his team’s comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Australia in the third and final ODI in Sydney as a “near-perfect game,” crediting the bowlers for setting upthe win and the iconic duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for completing a flawless chase.
1 mins
October 26, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
RBI plans banks to fund corporate buyouts with stricter safeguards
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed to permit banks to extend loans to Indian companies for acquiring full or controlling stakes in domestic or overseas firms as part of strategic investments aimed at creating long-term value.
1 min
October 26, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
The Rohit-Kohli show gets India home for one 'final' time in Australia
“Thank you, Australia” -the words echoed through the capacity crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground as Rohit Sharma (121 not out) and Virat Kohli (74 not out), the heartbeat of Indian cricket for over a decade, stood tall one last time on Australian soil, with their 19th century partnership in ODIs guiding India to a commanding nine-wicket win and helping the Men-in-Blue avoid a 3-0 whitewash.
3 mins
October 26, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
Montha: Bay depression to turn into storm Monday
The depression in the Bay of Bengal will intensify into a deep depression and later into cyclone Montha early on 27 October, bringing heavy rain across Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh.
1 min
October 26, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
Direct flights between India, China after 5 years to boost bilateral trade
In a significant step toward strengthening India-China relations, regular direct air connectivity between the two neighbouring nations is set to resume after more than five years from tomorrow.
1 mins
October 26, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
Illegal commercial complex razed in Meerut on SC orders
A 35-year-old commercial complex, built illegally on a plot originally allotted for residential purposes, has been demolished here on the directive of the Supreme Court.
1 min
October 26, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
El Clásico showdown: Real Madrid and Barcelona clash at the Bernabéu in a title-defining battle of pride and revenge
Sunday's encounter between Real Madrid and Barcelona is far more than a routine league fixture ~ it’s the iconic ElClasico, and the stakes could hardly be higher.
2 mins
October 26, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
Law Ministry, National Archives begin preservation of 25-year-old records
The Ministry of Law and Justice has started working with Director General, National Archives of India (NAI) for the transfer and preservation of departmental records/files that are more than 25 years old, an official said on Saturday.
1 min
October 26, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size