BENGALURU: Karnataka’s five guarantees may have transformed the lives of many families, but a farmer has now sought what could perhaps be called the state’s “sixth guarantee” — help for rural bachelors to find brides.At a Praja Seva event in Piriyapatna, a farmer made an unusual but emotional appeal to Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. He said several young men in villages, despite owning agricultural land and houses and working hard, were struggling to find women willing to marry them.“Sir, girls don’t want to marry village boys even if they own acres of land. Please do something,” he pleaded.The request drew laughter from Shivakumar, who appeared amused by the unusual demand. But behind the laughter lies a problem that has been surfacing in parts of rural Karnataka for years.The farmer claimed that many men in the 35-40 age group remain unmarried because families increasingly prefer grooms with government, corporate or other salaried jobs. Farming, despite land ownership, is often viewed as an uncertain source of income.He also made a more disturbing claim — that some frustrated young bachelors had even died by suicide after repeatedly failing to find marriage partners.The problem is not entirely new. In several villages across Karnataka, groups of unmarried farmers have previously spoken about repeated rejection of marriage proposals. Some said families demanded that prospective grooms give up farming and find salaried jobs in cities, mainly Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru and Hubballi-Dharwad.In drought-hit areas, repeated crop losses and unstable farm incomes have further damaged the social standing of agriculture. Karnataka has already declared 217 taluks drought-hit.In some villages in Mandya, hundreds of men in their 30s and 40s have remained unmarried despite owning land and houses. The issue has even prompted bachelors to approach local authorities seeking help.For generations, owning farmland was considered an asset and a source of social respect. Today, however, many rural families appear to be placing greater value on a fixed monthly salary than on acres of agricultural land.
