Date:25/11/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/11/25/stories/2005112513150300.htm

New Delhi

Marriage season a traumatic experience for commuters

Staff Reporter

Leaders criss-cross the Capital to keep deadlines

NEW DELHI: As thousands of couples tie the knot, the new marriage season in the Capital right now is not only turning into a traumatic experience for commuters and motorists on the clogged city roads but also fast becoming a nightmarish experience for political leaders who spend most of their time criss-crossing the Capital.

With Delhi and its roads bursting at the seams to accommodate the ever increasing rush of vehicles and the growing population, the marriage season has come to be identified with traffic snarls, road rage cases and endless struggle to reach destinations and get back home.

Be it farmhouses that host marriages in violation of all norms or the banquet halls that have come up in areas that hardly have the infrastructure to accommodate the rush of vehicles and marriage parties, things are going from bad to worse.

With November being termed as one of the busiest marriage seasons, the coming days could have more harassment and trauma in store for commuters as well as the local population.

Organisers have termed November 23 and November 27 as the busiest days with thousands of couples set to tie the knot. For political leaders, the marriage season often stretches into early mornings. The busiest leader seems to be Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ram Babu Sharma. "I have to attend nearly 52 marriages tonight. I will only be able to reach my home around early morning on Thursday as the venues are located in different parts of the Capital. I have been attending nearly 15 to 20 marriages every day during the last fortnight and no respite seems in sight,'' said Mr. Sharma. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also has a busy schedule but she prefers to attend only important marriages or those which have the personal recommendation of a senior leader, Minister or an MLA.