Express News Service
PATNA: Nearly four months after her father was killed by militants in Srinagar, Nitu Kumari tied the nuptial knot with a banker late on Sunday evening, thanks to the promised help from BJP MLA Lalan Paswan. The Pirpainti MLA not only bore the expenses of the wedding but also performed rituals with his wife Gunjan Devi. The four-day wedding rituals were performed at the Barahat residence of the MLA, who broke down after bidding adieu to the newly-wed couple on Monday.
While the bride is doing her graduation from a local college, the groom, Rajendra Kumar Paswan, is a field officer in a private bank. The ‘baraat’ had arrived from Birnia Balbadda village in neighbouring Jharkhand. The ring ceremony was held at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur at the initiative of the legislator on December 11.
“The day I visited the house of slain gol gappa vendor Virendra Paswan in Bhagalpur district in October last year, I had promised his widow to bear the expenses of two of their three unwed daughters. I consider them as my family members and have been trying to live up to their expectations on all fronts,” the MLA said.
Virendra, a resident of Saidpur village in Bhagalpur district, was shot dead by militants near his gol gappa vend in Srinagar on October 5. Virendra’s elder son, Vikram Kumar said, “I have no words to express my gratitude to the MLA for his support and proper guidance. He is an ideal for many in true sense.”
The bride sounded equally grateful. “Vidhayakji (the MLA) is like god for us. We were in tatters after the death of my father, a vendor away in Srinagar, who barely eked out a living for a family of seven,” Nitu said. The wedding was held without any dowry. Only selec guests were invited to the function keeping in mind the pandemic-related protocols.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had recently launched ‘Samajik Sudhar Abhiyan’ (social reform campaign) to create awareness against social evils such as dowry, child marriage and liquor prohibition.
