In January, last month, social media was flooded with pictures of a 67-year-old year man tying the knot with a 24-year-old woman in a simple wedding at a gurudwara in Chandigarh in northern India.
In the pictures, two men, who signed as witnesses on the couple’s marriage certificate, were the only guests who attended the union.
A farmer from Ballian village, Shamsher Singh, had married Navpreet Kaur from the adjoining town of Longowal in Sangrur district of Punjab, despite objections from their families.
Fearing for their safety from their relatives, the newly-married couple has now approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a bid to seek protection.
Pictures of the marriage were widely circulated on social media Source: Supplied
While the couple refused to speak to the media, their counsel Mohit Sadana, however, told the that “It was an odd marriage and the families did not accept this relationship.”
“So, the couple moved the High Court, arguing that their lives are in danger from their families and relatives,” he added.
He further said that their marriage is legal as they both are adults and do not have any living spouses.
According to the marriage that was also widely circulated on social media along with pictures of their Sikh wedding, the groom was a widower, while for the bride, it was her first marriage.
Meanwhile, Sangrur police have confirmed that they have received the High Court order and said that the couple would be provided due protection as per the law.
Does age matter?
Age may be no bar for most when it comes to love and matrimony, but a recent study conducted by Purdue University suggests that couples with large age gaps, particularly with more than 10 years of age difference, tend to experience social disapproval.
They are “socially devalued” relative to traditional relationships and this “discrimination and social bias” including getting started in public, affects the degree of their commitment and increases the risk of break-ups, the study found.
But does that mean couples with huge age gaps don’t have lasting relationships?
Psychologist Harleen Arora told SBS Punjabi that there is no denying the fact that a marriage between two people with a huge age difference is more challenging than traditional unions, but this does not mean that they can’t last.
“If a couple is compatible, respects each other’s perspectives, priorities and goals, have trust and are willing to put effort into their relationship, any marriage can be successful, irrespective of age differences,” Ms Arora said.
“But needless to say, that a couple with wider age difference has to work doubly hard to make it work,” she added.
