A survey of the village reveals that bride buying is a constant factor in all castes. Asha Devi, a 45-year old widow from Kolkata, was bought as a wife by a Brahmin widower Narayan Lal for Rs 10,000 (she calls it the ‘wedding fee’ given to her son), some 5 years ago. She says she visits Kolkata, where her son stays, once in two years. She may not be able to speak Hindi fluently, but since Narayan Lal’s family is educated, she is able to make them understand what she wants. “I have no problems at all. Being a widow, I was rebuked back home. But now, I atleast have a man who takes care of my needs,” she says. Ram Lali (her maiden name was Anita) was bought by Ram Bhajan, a Baniya, from Kolkata four years ago, for a “wedding fee” of Rs 10,000. She has four children and is happy that this marriage has at least brought her out of poverty. “The money, which my husband gave to my family, has helped them survive. So it is not bad for me,” she says.

The villagers, however, refuse to accept these women as wives and consider them “arrangements”. Said Maheshwar, an elderly man in the village: “We know that these women have been bought and the proper ceremonies attached to marriage have not been performed. Hence, it is difficult for us to call them wives.” Mahender, who bought Anita from Orissa, said: “I bought her from a man for Rs 7,500. She is satisfying all my needs and is also my children’s mother, but my relatives don’t like to call her my wife.”

... contd.