Wedding no. 2050 and counting, and the many Good Samaritans of Una who make it happen

“I have heard a lot about them. I have been told to take it easy. I am keeping my fingers crossed,” says Kumari.

Shashi Bala, 49, from Haroli in Una district, feels like clapping her hands in appreciation and gratitude as her two daughters were married off within a span of one week last year. “My husband had suffered a paralytic attack. He was bedridden. He wanted to see our daughters married before his health deteriorated any further. We were in tears and in darkness. This is when I came here, and then they made it happen.”

For the hapless, hope floats and dreams take wings here. “I have seen poverty. Sar par, cycle par, rehri par subzian rakhkar bechi hain tab jakar yahan pahuncha hoon (I have reached here after selling vegetables carrying them on the head, on the cycle and on the cart). I understand the pain of the poor,” says Mohan Lal Mohni, the owner of shop no. 5. The 53-year-old is the president of Yuva Sewa Club.

Founded in 1996, the club has been instrumental in solemnising the wedding of women from economically weaker section. When they get an application, they verify credentials of the applicant. Once they are convinced of the applicant’s genuineness, their team takes care of all the arrangements — from food to festivities.

“Khana bahut badhiya hota hai (The food is very nice). There are seven types of vegetables, fruits and sweets. There are around 100 people in attendance too,” says Dr Kamal Kishore, 66, who has been associated with the club for the last 20 years and has witnessed more than 1,000 weddings.

Dr Kishore, who contributes Rs 1,100 per month to the club, explains their wedding economics. “A wedding which otherwise costs Rs 2-3 lakh, we manage it with just Rs 50,000-60,000.”

Dr Jagdishwar Kanwar, 65, is a gyaenocologist associated with the club for more than 10 years. “The club has a team of dedicated members. I don’t do much for them because of lack of time; I just contribute financially. I have two daughters and wanted to help daughters of the poor. That’s why I connected with them.”

R N Sharma, 68, the owner of shop no. 20 at the subzi mandi, contributes Rs 2,100 per month to the club and donates vegetables for the wedding. “We are here to help the poor. My own daughters — I have two daughters and a son — are another reason which keeps driving me in this direction.”

Help pours in from other quarters as well. Gurnam Singh, 70, donates ration worth Rs 4,000-5,000 from Raipur village gurdwara, or cash, per wedding. Rakesh Kumar Shah, 49, the head of Dera Baba Hari Shah Darbar, Amboa, makes sure to donate at least a quintal rice every wedding. “The wedding is arranged on a grand scale. Garib ki shaadi lagati hi nahin (It doesn’t appear to be the wedding of the poor),” says Shah, associated with the club for the last 10 years.

Caterer Rattan Chand, 55, has been working with the club for the last five years. “Whenever they want, I send my karigars. I do not ask for wages. If they are paid, well and good. Otherwise, I pay them. The organisers are doing good work.”

Sweets come from Saini Sweet Shop. “I give them discount and Rs 2,100 as shagun,” says Ajit Singh Saini, 48, who runs the sweet shop. He has two daughters and a son, and joined the club two years ago.

Most of the time, Hotel NRG Plaza is the venue, where normal rent is Rs 70,000 per wedding. But the club is charged Rs 21,000. “I have been in debt of Rs 3 crore and facing banking troubles. Many poor girls have got married here. The hotel was sealed. Pata nahin kis bachchi ke bhagya se yeh (hotel) dobara khul gaya (I don’t know which girl’s destiny has reopened the hotel),” says owner Sujan Singh Rana, 70, who has a daughter and son.

Anju, 42, chairperson, Nagar Parishad, Basdehra, has been associated with the club for 18 years. “I came in contact with the club when I was approached for wedding of poor girls of our village. Now I am contributing Rs 1,100 every month to the club”.

With the club for the last 22 years, Sunita Devi, 41, contributes Rs 500 a month and often takes care of the bride. The bridal make-up is done at Gunjan Beauty Parlour. “The minimum charge for bridal make-up is Rs 5,100. But I do it for free for the club,” says Suman Sharma, 52, the owner of the parlour who has been associated with the club for the last 20 years.

Mohni, who dropped out of class 8 and has four children — two daughters and two sons — who are yet to get married, claims the club can make wedding arrangements at short notice. “When we started, we used to go to villages to solemnise weddings. Now we do it in a hotel or a marriage palace. During Covid-19 pandemic too, we did not stop.”

Every wedding here has a happy ending: The distribution of ration to poor families.

Arun Sharma, 35, seems to be speaking for his clubmates as well when he says: “Agar hum dete hain, to Bhagwan humein deta hai (The God provides)”.