Border Closure Following India-Pakistan Tensions Delays Wedding of Barmer Youth
Jaipur, April 26 – The closure of the Attari-Wagah border following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, has disrupted the wedding plans of a young man from Rajasthan’s border district of Barmer. The groom, who had reached the border crossing with his family, was turned back by authorities citing heightened security concerns.
Shaitan Singh, a 25-year-old resident of Indroi village in Barmer, was scheduled to marry Kesar Kanwar, a 21-year-old woman from Umarkot district in Pakistan’s Sindh province, on April 30. After extensive preparations, Singh and his family had traveled to the Attari-Wagah border, only to find that their plans were halted due to the border's closure following increased tensions.
As per agency report, authorities at the border denied them entry, citing the suspension of cross-border movement in the aftermath of the attack in Pahalgam. Singh had been engaged to Kesar Kanwar for four years, and after persistent efforts, visas were finally granted to him, his father, and his brother earlier this year on February 18.
The family set out for the Attari border on April 23 and reached a day later, but by April 24, the escalating tensions led to the suspension of border crossings. Speaking about the situation, Singh said, "We had waited a long time for this day. What the terrorists did was wrong. My wedding was supposed to happen, but now we are not allowed to cross. What can we do? It is a matter of the border."
Although their visas remain valid until May 12, the family is now holding onto the hope that the border might reopen within this period, allowing the marriage to take place.
Surendra Singh, a cousin of Shaitan Singh, shared that the current situation has deeply disappointed both families. He added that relatives from Pakistan who had come for the wedding also had to return, lamenting that terrorist incidents cause immense damage, harming relationships and halting cross-border movements.
Shaitan Singh’s marriage was arranged through familial ties, a common tradition among the Sodha Rajput community, which maintains strong cultural links across the India-Pakistan border. A significant population of Sodha Rajputs resides in Pakistan’s Sindh province, and it is customary among them to arrange marriages within the community to preserve their cultural heritage.
For now, Shaitan Singh and his family remain hopeful that conditions will improve, and they will still be able to travel across the border to celebrate the long-awaited union.
