Pak women opt for Internet ‘Swayamvar’’
Swayamvar–to select ones own groom
Asian News International
Washington, July 9
Girls in Pakistan are trying to revive ‘Swayamvar’, the ancient practice of selecting their mate from a host of prospective grooms, but with a difference.
And the Internet is emerging as a viable and tangible medium for this form of groom search.
The Daily Times reports that one of the popular matrimonial sites being used in Pakistan is www.mehndi.com.
Citing an example, the report said that one Amber Khan (23), a fashion student from Lahore, said: “Everyone has the right to choose their own life partner. They can choose, they can select, they can communicate with them - they can even meet them before they’re married.”
However, the report cautions that the scene in Pakistan is “a long way from the freewheeling romantic marketplace of the Western world, as the countrymen try to adapt new resources to their customs”.
Locals apparently haven’t taken to kindly to what they term an erosion of the centuries-old system of arranged marriages by the new media age that promotes Western-style relationships.
Online streaming video is, however, seen as fun by people like Mariam Alam. The paper quoted the 21-year-old Islamabad teacher as saying that she cruises Internet chat rooms and has arranged dates with numerous men - “I’ve lost count,” she adds.