Kalyana Sora: Kerala police take awareness classes after arrests

KANNUR: The police have started taking awareness classes for parents to check practices like Kalyana Sora (marriage ragging), which have crossed all limits in Malabar.  It may be recalled that five friends of a bridegroom, who was detained by them at the time of his marriage reception at Kadavathur, were arrested by the police on March 19.

In the wake of this incident, the representatives of the Mahallu committees in Kannur had requested the police to take awareness classes. The first such class held at Mythri school at Kadavathur on Wednesday was attended by 50 women, said Mr T.V. Dhananjaya Das, Kolavallur SI. The class also discussed the students' tendency to burst crackers and tear off uniforms and books soon after the exams are over.

The mothers voiced their concern about the new generation becoming disrespectful and violent. The police would conduct raids to check the presence of crackers and colour powders when the students write their final examination, the SI said.

Kalyana Sora is a practice in Malabar, where the friends of the bride and groom play pranks on them, their relatives and guests. In the Kadavathur incident, the friends of the groom took him to Thottilpalam in Kozhikode district. The father filed a complaint at the police station when there was no trace of his son and his phone remained switched off. The youngsters were arrested for illegal detention and unlawful assembly. The SI said that the representatives of three Mahallu committees had requested him to conduct awareness classes at their areas.