An awkward moment befell 64 bridegrooms ahead of the auspicious evening in Bhopal on Thursday. The government scheme that facilitated their mass wedding fashioned them in another peculiar way: selfies of grooms-to-be standing inside toilets as proofs attached with application forms.Only proving that her husband-to-be has a toilet at home can fetch a woman, from an economically deprived background, ₹51,000 as support under the Mukhya Mantri Kanya Vivah/Nikah Scheme. And now, the unwritten norm hitherto prevalent in rural areas of taking the selfies has forayed into a city where the civic body is supposed to physically verify toilets.“I don’t even take my phone inside toilets,” said Abid Khan*, 23, a resident of a slum near the State Secretariat. “It wasn’t a good feeling to take a photograph inside a toilet, just to be eligible for a wedding.”The scheme, launched by the BJP government in 2013, contains the toilet clause. But they asked for photographs only from rural areas, said corporator and Congress leader Rafiq Qureshi, organiser of the wedding — the third mass wedding in a year ahead of the local body elections next year.“It’s nowhere in the rules, but the practice is being adopted by cities now. What is still being followed was set as a norm by the previous government,” he said. In villages, the Chief Medical Officer has to verify toilets, in cities, ward incharges have to do the job.Brothers Riyaz Ali*, 27, and Samir Ali*, 23, both mechanics, have three toilets back home. “When I heard the condition the first time, I was shocked and embarrassed at the same time,” said Mr. Riyaz.“Officials are shying away from their duty to verify toilets themselves. This is like our pre-wedding photoshoot,” he chuckled.“What is the point of asking for photographs when Bhopal is the cleanest State capital? Isn’t it declared open defecation-free already?” asked Amjad Khan, member of an NGO, and in the organising team of a mass wedding for the fifth time. “There is not even a single basti (slum) without a toilet.”Surrounded by friends, dabbing her cheeks with powder and adjusting her lehenga’s hood, Fatima Siddiqui*, 22, is overwrought. She wants to look her best, not just before her family — scores of guests including families, friends of 64 couples are attending the wedding outside the Central Library. “Isn’t the photograph of a toilet in use a good sign for us? There is nothing wrong with it,” she said.Flurry of applicationsThe benefit of ₹43,000 is transferred to the bank account of the woman, who also receives ₹5,000 worth household items and ₹3,000 for the wedding. A day into government, the Congress increased the assistance from ₹28,000 to ₹51,000, which led to a flurry of applications.Meanwhile, Minister for Urban Development and Housing Jaivardhan Singh has told reporters the condition will be looked into and rolled back to not cause further embarrassment for grooms-to-be.(*Names changed) read more
Ethel Booba on hotel’s clarification that ‘kikiam’ is ‘chicken sausage’: ‘Kung di pa pansinin, baka isipin nila ok lang’ Through the course of the six-game championship series, the KaTropa drew huge contributions from their upstarts like Roger Pogoy, RR Garcia, and Troy Rosario — all of whom have carved their niche in coach Nash Racela’s system.Castro had high praise for Pogoy, who emerged as a vital piece for TNT this conference.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSSEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completionSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSWin or don’t eat: the Philippines’ poverty-driven, world-beating pool starsAnd though losing in the Finals stings, Castro thinks these kinds of experiences could only help their young guns grow.“This conference, I’m happy with their performance. Like with Pogoy, I tell it to him to stay confident. Even though we lost, it’s a huge boost for him to play in the finals and it will only be huge for us for the next conference. I hope they bring the lessons they get from this when we make it again in the Finals,” he said. MOST READ Pogoy heard Castro’s message loud and clear, and if there’s one thing he could take away from this bitter memory, it’s that just like in any level of basketball competition, championships could only be achieved through teamwork.“We can’t win it if we think of ourselves individually. Just like what San Miguel did, we have to share the ball and work as a team,” he said.Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next China furious as Trump signs bills in support of Hong Kong View comments TNT KaTropa. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.netTNT lost the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals but Jayson Castro believes that his team learned a lot from its clash with a powerhouse squad like San Miguel.“We had a lot of young guys in this team. We only have five remaining from the old core that we had, so the finals was a great learning experience for us all,” Castro said in Filipino.ADVERTISEMENT Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss PLAY LIST 02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games Pagasa: Kammuri now a typhoon, may enter PAR by weekend Another vape smoker nabbed in Lucena LATEST STORIES Cayetano to unmask people behind ‘smear campaign’ vs him, SEA Games What ‘missteps’? LOOK: Jane De Leon meets fellow ‘Darna’ Marian Rivera Lacson: SEA Games fund put in foundation like ‘Napoles case’ Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Injured Kyrgios pulls out of Wimbledon opener read more