An unusual yet pressing social crisis came to light during the 'Praja Seva' public grievance programme in Piriyapatna, Karnataka, on Saturday. Addressing Chief Minister DK Shivakumar directly, a local farmer requested the administration to formulate a dedicated government initiative to help unmarried men, particularly those engaged in agriculture, find brides. The farmer highlighted that numerous men between the ages of 35 and 40 in rural areas remain unmarried and are taking the extreme step of suicide out of sheer frustration, finding themselves unable to secure life partners despite having their own houses and agricultural land.
Stable Landholdings Fail to Attract Alliances
Explaining the ground realities, the farmer pointed out that many agricultural youths have invested significant financial resources into building homes and purchasing agricultural land. Yet, parents across communities remain reluctant to marry their daughters into farming households. As a consequence of this growing social aversion, eligible men in villages are crossing their thirties and facing acute emotional and mental distress. Emphasising that this is not an isolated personal grief, the farmer described the marriage roadblock as a widespread predicament affecting households across the entire state of Karnataka.
Chief Minister Responds as Farmer Pleads for Urgent Intervention
Taken aback by the unconventional appeal, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar initially reacted with laughter, asking what had happened and seeking clarification. In response, the farmer laid out the grim reality of loneliness and distress confronting rural men. Making an earnest plea to the leadership, the farmer said,
"Several men aged 35 to 40 are still unmarried. Poor people are dying by suicide. They have become hopeless about life. They need women to get married. Sir, please. Poor people are dying by suicide. Please, something must be done."
Transforming the Lives of Lakhs of Rural Youth
The aggrieved farmer maintained that if the state government establishes a structured support mechanism or matchmaking initiative, it could positively transform the lives of lakhs of young men across the state. Raising a poignant question on behalf of the agricultural community, he asked how society expects farmers to sustain themselves if families refuse to send their daughters into the homes of those who cultivate crops and provide food to everyone. Concluding his appeal, the farmer reiterated that this is an urgent crisis across Karnataka that demands immediate state attention.
