Mysuru/Bengaluru: The govt’s five guarantees may have transformed living conditions of many families, but a farmer has now sought what could perhaps be called the state’s “sixth guarantee” — help for rural men to find brides.At a Prajaseva event in Piriyapatna Saturday, a farmer made an unusual but deeply emotional appeal to chief minister DK Shivakumar. He said several young men in villages, despite owning agricultural land, houses and working hard, were struggling to find women willing to marry them. “Sir, please do something,” he pleaded. A video of the incident was widely shared.Shivakumar laughed and appeared amused by the demand. However, the problem runs deep and has persisted in several parts of rural Karnataka for years.The farmer claimed that many men in the 35-40 age group are unmarried because prospective brides increasingly prefer grooms with govt, corporate or other salaried jobs. Despite owning land, farming is often viewed as an uncertain source of income. He also claimed some young men had died by suicide after repeatedly failing to find a partner.Groups of unmarried farmers across the state have previously spoken about repeated rejection of marriage proposals. Some said families demanded prospective grooms give up farming and find salaried employment in cities, especially Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad.In drought-hit areas, repeated crop losses and unstable farm incomes have further damaged the social standing of agriculture.In villages in Mandya and arid districts of North Karnataka, including Gadag, hundreds of unmarried men in their 30s and 40s have formed a forum and have urged local authorities to help.The forum said for generations, owning farmland was considered an asset and a source of social respect. Today, they rue that many rural families appear to be placing greater value on a fixed monthly salary than acres of agricultural land.
