IndiaCSR News Network
LANJIGARH: A mass marriage ceremony for 151 couples was organized by Vedanta Foundation at Kumudabali near Muniguda on Monday for bringing in the economically backward couples under social inclusion. The marriage rituals were conducted in traditional fashion, followed by official registration of the same.
There was no exchange of dowry or any ostentation. Chief Guest, Dr Mukesh Kumar, President & COO, Sesa Sterlite Ltd said, “Vedanta has been working towards bringing socio-economically backward people to the mainstream. The unique event, which saw 151 couples getting their legal rights, will go a long-way in shaping up their future and that of their children.”
Lona Nayak, CEO, Vedanta Foundation, said, “The aim of this mass marriage is to promote simplicity in marriages, discourage dowry and provide a new beginning. Many couples stay together without conducting the marriage rituals due to paucity of fund. Thus, without having a marriage certificate. As a consequence they get deprived of many Government schemes and their children face the problem in social inclusion.”
In order to reduce the cost of organizing a wedding ceremony, maximum couples below the poverty line get married without any rituals, which are not accepted by the society which further creates a problem in future.
Likewise, their children are deprived of admission due to lack of identification of their parents. This initiative by the Foundation aimed at helping tribal community from being subjected to such kind of social inclusion, thus, helping them to join the main stream. The villagers are from various villages such as various places of Muniguda & Bissam Cuttack block in Rayagada district.
Vedanta Foundation took the responsibility of all expenses of the mass marriage and gifted articles like marriage jewelries, kitchen utensils, umbrella, watch and dress material for smooth beginning of the couples’ married life.
The couples were also gifted fixed deposits worth Rs 5,000. Around 5,000 people gathered to see the first of its kind event in the district. The list of guests included senior officials of Sesa Sterlite and dignitaries from media. Puri Gajapati Maharaj Shri Dibyasingh Deb ji congratulated Vedanta Foundation for such type of event over e-mail.
Subsequently Sesa Sterlite limited under its CSR activity has organized a free health camp where about 250 patients got free medicine .As a part of Public Relation and creating awareness among the community at a large, there is a distribution of Immunizations leaflet, Project Swachhata – and cleanliness drive among the community with several hoardings and displays.
Vedanta Foundation is a Public Charitable Trust has built various development programs in the form of initiatives with a broad focus mainly on Education, Nutrition & Livelihood which focused on education among the school children, child nutrition, essential vocational training such as computer literacy, women empowerment & most critical among all being employment to jobless youth among others which happen to be National concerns of the country and furthermore a part of the country’s agenda for its Millennium Development Goal.
