According to the notification issued by the state government, all government employees will have to get their marriage registered by the end of June this year. Failing to do so will result in difficulties to get the family pension and the widow pension.
“When I broke the news of getting our marriage registered to my fifty-six-year-old wife Lalmoni, my sons requested that they will witness our marriage,” said a jubilant Singh, who along with his wife will be celebrating their 40th year of marriage on May 18.
Singh is planing to organize a gala ceremony along with his three grandchildren to mark his “second” marriage.
“Aise mouke roz roz nahin aate hain. Apne gharwali se dubara shaadi, naseebwalon ko milte hain!” (This is a unique experience. Only lucky ones get a chance of remarrying their wife once again). Singh will be inviting his colleague for the wedding ceremony.
Sukhdev’s colleague, Ashish Mazumdar (56), who is also planning to get ‘remarried’ said: “I was married in the 80s. It was June 29, the final day of the World Cup. It was an arranged marriage, so we did not bother to get our marriage registered.”
Now, Ashish is planning to invite his friends and family members for the wedding. As the June deadline is drawing near, the city’s registrar office is witnessing more footfalls of couple, generally in their 40s and 50s, eager to tie the knot once again. “It is quite an unusual sight. We are anticipating more employees by the end of June,” said VS Ghosh, Kolkata-based marriage registrar.