Twenty years after they eloped, 41-year-old tribal Subhnasha and Rama Bai are all set to tie the knot - to pave the way for the marriage of their son.

Preparations are on in Mordongri village of Chhindwada district for a mass marriage in the first week of June when Subhnasha and 11 others will get married in the presence of their children, who are mostly in their teens.

Subhnasha and Rama Bai had eloped from their homes 20 years ago and got married. But villagers never accepted them as a couple and declared them pariahs.

The social stigma was so strong that they have been unable to find a partner for their 18-year-old son Dhaadu.

"We found that in and around Mordongri there were many such couples. Their children are of marriageable age but are unable to find life partners because the parents are treated like pariahs," said Shivshankar, a member of the panchayat, or village council.

Then some people hit upon a solution to the knotty problem - making all such couples marry in front of the villagers, getting them to sacrifice a goat and host a lavish feast.

"But we found that many couples did not have the money for the feast so we decided to organise the mass marriage," said Shivshankar.

Subhnasha is happy with the idea. "After years I will be accepted in the village. I will again be able to sit with other villagers," he said. 

Dhaadu is also delighted. After all a big hurdle to his marriage will be cleared once his parents formally tie the nuptial knot! 

--Indo-Asian News Service