Marriage is a social institution that has stood the test of centuries. It has remained the foundation of human community everywhere.
It is true, marital relationships have gone through many ups and downs as the modern social order evolved over the centuries. But, the basic fact remains that marriage forms the brickwork of the social edifice of mankind.
Employment and modern business opportunities have thrown individuals out of their family surroundings into far off cities and towns where they live with unfamiliar people. Work environment brings people into contact even with total strangers. Perhaps, more individuals in the 21st century live among unfamiliar people than it ever had been in the past.
Young peope who live and work in places away from the localities where they grew up as children and received education mingle with the new acquaintances and tend to fall in love with previously unknown individuals. A number of these lovers also get married, either with or without the approval of the elders in their respective families. The new-found economic freedom of the freshly employed youth also plays a decisive role in inducing them take decisions related to marriage and life on their own. When the marriage is without the approval of the elders, further support from the family becomes a mirage in many cases.
There is a growing number of lovers who opt for a ‘live-in’ arrangement rather than getting married. Such ‘coming together’ without the social obligations towards each other has contributed to the decay of the established social order.
Many such ‘marriages’ end up in divorce and the partners go through times of despair. Children born of these couples face an uphill task to enter the domain of normal livelihood like other cildren in the same locality. The problems of these children increase manifold as they grow. Their problems have no simple solution.
Real happiness consists in being accepted members of established social order. This also ensures smooth and secure progress for the family.
Of late, there is a perceptible realization among many that marriage is the only way to solve all these problems. It helps lay the foundation for a secure future. The mutual social benefits reaped by married partners have no other equivalents.
