Regressive Indian Arranged Marriages and How To Reject Them

We do not condemn arranged marriages, but the casteist, colourist and sexist approach needs to end

Original Illustration by Author (© Arundhati)

If you grew up hearing and believing “Matches are made in heaven” only, and not “Matches are made after considering the religion, the caste, skin colour (fair, obviously), salary and the family status” then you’ve probably had the privilege of living in a progressive family in India or the western world. It has been made very clear by the eight-part Netflix Docuseries ‘Indian Matchmaking’ that India’s arranged marriage system is still rooted in prejudice.

These inherently prejudiced and problematic conditions to marry in India make an arranged marriage the only trusted option for the families. We’re often told that “You have plenty of time to know and love your partner after marriage”, “Your family knows what and who is best for you more than you” and “Arranged marriages are more successful than love marriages.” But it all depends on how you define the ‘Success’ of marriage — In compromises and adjustments made under pressure or genuine love and happiness?

But isn’t an arranged marriage a good idea considering how in India they make up for a whopping 90% of all marriages and the divorce rate is just 1.1%?, which is another way of…