Invitation For Mass Wedding_Songhad

A Jesuit adventure towards Social Responsibility

Welcome to Songadh! for Mass Wedding (samuh lagna) On 27th March, 2011 at SHAKTI-LAHRC.

With great joy we invite you for the mass wedding.

Background: The lives of our Adivasis are very closely knit together with Nature and Natural Resources like Land, Forest, Water and of course Minerals. In the course of time, these resources have gone away from our hands! We have become victims of poverty, insecurity, oppression, displacement, migration etc. We have been also forgetting our identity, unity, culture and customs, celebrations, songs, dance and music, community living due to various factors. We find our lives more expensive while our sources of income are very limited! In order to meet certain expenses, we borrow money at a very high interest rate. We even mortgage our lands and sell our cattle for the same. These things have only made us poorer!

Mass Wedding (samuh lagna)

Today though many parents would like to get their sons and daughters married with dignity, but because of poverty, they are unable to do so. For such parents and youth who are interested in getting married in a dignified way, samuh lagna (mass wedding) provides an alternative.

Adivasi Mahamandal, Gujarat in collaboration with Adivasi Sarvangi Vikas Sanghs (POs), Ukai Right Bank Canal Rights Committee, Songadh Vegetable Vendors Rights Committee and SHAKTI-LAHRC is hosting a mass wedding celebration on 27th March 2011.
Experience of last year: Last year, mass wedding for different groups of adivasis on one stage was organized for the first time. 29 couples (Vasava-12, Gamit-11, Kokni-3 and Chaudhary-3) benefited from it. Encouraged by such a good response and the request from the people, this year too it has been planned. These new couples will be honoured. They will be given various gifts also by different sponsors.

Last date for registration: Friday 25th February 2011.
Registration fee: a contribution of Rs. 202/- (Rs.101/-+ 101/-) per couple. They also need to attach their age certificates.

Place of Registration:

SHAKTI-Legal Aid and Human Rights Centres (LAHRC), Nizar, Uchchhal, Songadh, Vyara, Mandvi, Vankel and Umarpada.

Date of Marriage: Sunday 27th March, 2011.

Time: 10.00 AM. The procession with the bride grooms and their near and dear ones will start from Umang Hotel with traditional musical instruments and dances.

Rite of Marriage: The wedding ceremonies would be performed as per Adivasi rituals of different groups by their elders.

Wedding Feast: Meal will be served for all those present with a contribution of Rs. 5/-.
Place: SHAKTI-LAHRC, Songadh.

Request for contribution:
Your generous contribution in cash or kind could double the joy of the new couples. Kindly contribute generously.
You are welcome to be present and to bless them.
Jai Adivasi, Jago Adivasi!
We are proud to be the Adivasis of India.

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SHAKTI-LAHRC
P.B. No.- 19,Nr. RTO Check Post, Songadh-394 670, Dist Tapi, Gujarat.
Ph- 02624- 221074, 221076
web: http://www.shaktilahrc.org/

- News and Photo By Fr. Stany Jeba SJ