“Between Films and Real Life: Dilemmas of Human Relationship and Anxiety of Caste”

Philosophical Society of Dev Samaj College for Women organized a seminar on the theme “Between Films and Real Life: Dilemmas of Human Relationship and Anxiety of Caste”. In the Seminar Poonam Bhardwaj, Pushpinder, Rupinder, Sonam, kanika and Dawinderjeet of B.A. Ist year highlighted issues related to love marriages and focused on different issues like Honour Killings and Khap Panchayats, which are quite popular in the Haryana state. They outwardly criticized these practices and demanded severe punishment against the guilty.
The participants further discussed as to what is resulting into the young marriages aged between 18 to 21 years in the country. They also raised questions related to the concept of tradition as to what is tradition. Do traditional values are always in the interest of the society. What is modernity and how should questions related to human relationship be understood in light to tradition and modernity in the country like India.
Poonam said that there is a dichotomy between films and real life in India. She said that films to a larger extent influence the relationship of youths in the country. Focusing on the issue of love marriage she said that youngsters get influenced a lot by the kind of movies shown on the televisions screens.
Rupinder, while giving an account of Superstar Shahrukh Khan, said that the movies like Dil Wale Dhulania Le Jayainge and many others did affect the psyche of youngsters towards love marriage. But the significant question is how far love marriages are accepted in the country. She said that in the country, the love marriages are not appreciated and factors like caste and class always stand as a barrier in such relationships. Though exceptions are always there but still when it comes to marriage it is always seen in the purview of caste. Even the newspapers carrying matrimonial are full of caste preferences. Why is it so, there cannot be definite answers to it. Dawinderjeet said that when any body suffers from any illness, they go to a doctor without a caste difference. They don’t think that they would go to see only a doctor of their caste but when it comes to marriage than the concept of caste takes the big role. Time has come to come out of such conservatives and irrational thoughts.
Principal Dr. Madhu Prashar in her address raised her concern towards a mutual dialogue of parents and their children in context to marriages. She said that for marriages the acceptance of the parents must be taken into account. Parents are the well wishers of their children and it is not purely ideal, saying that at an age of 18 or 20 a girl or a boy can take decisions of marriage. She stressed on the economic factor as to most important for any marriage. She also suggested increasing the age of marriage for both the gender.
Mrs. Sudesh Sharma justified the inter-cast marriages and said that there is nothing harm in marrying any one of one’s own choice but there should be responsible and cordial relation between the couple.
Among others who addressed the participants were M. R. Manchanda, Mrs. Rajinder Kaur, Mrs Namrata Gupta, Mrs. Bhumida Sharma, Mr. Ambuj Sharma and Mr. Manish.
Certain important questions were also asked by the participants such as Is it wrong to love somebody in life? Whether the law relating to the age of marriage in India should be amended to which there was mixed response?