New Delhi: Its been long since Marathwada region witnessed exchange of wedding vows, miniature lights have not danced to Bollywood blockbuster numbers for long. All in all weddings in Marathwada have been a rare occurrence over the last few years and even this year, the region may hardly see any union of people in this wonderful bond.
Crop loss, drought and deteriorating financial conditions have made several girls in Marathwada region to put marriage on hold.

Girls from the Banjara community of sugarcane cutters, in Beed district of Marathwada, have refused to get married this year due to the deteriorating financial conditions of their families since last three to four years.

A marriage in Indian culture, specifically for the parents of the girls is a costly affair. The girls thought that if they get married this year, the condition of the family will only go from bad to worse, pushing the family into a bottomless well of debts.

As the fear of inability to repay the debts and possible suicides gripped these girls, they decided to put marriage on hold for yet another year.

Farmers in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra have been facing the heat of recurrent crop failures and acute droughts. The silent landscapes strongly hit that over 60 per cent of farmers have abandoned farming and migrated in search of livelihood. The region has already seen several farmer suicides too.

According to the state government data, 50 farmers in Marathwada have ended their lives in February so far taking the total toll to 139.