CHENNAI, INDIA, July 14, 2002: For some families in Tamil Nadu the expense of sponsoring a wedding for their daughters has become so high that many young ladies are unable to get married. Stepping in to assist these families, the state government under the direction of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa recently sponsored 1,008 marriages. Jayalalithaa said, “The couples who were married on Sunday weren’t selected on the basis of their caste or religion. They were human beings and had difficulty in financing marriages.” Newly-wed couples were presented with household gift articles valued at US$92.00. Each couple was also allowed to invite ten relatives to the grand event, and the government provided a lavish meal for all the participants.
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