Society
Love in the Age of Dating Apps Can Be Fatal in India
And so is bigotry
When I was working on cruise ships, a Filipina crew member started dating a young Indian guy, and the woman was judged by our fellow Filipino crew members, especially the men, many of whom are married.
Someone said,
She was better off with the Filipino guy who was pursuing her, even if he was married.
Yes, there’s a lot of racism going on — off the boat.
Love in the age of dating apps
I found love not once but a few times on dating apps. I will just leave it at that, it can happen and I’m not alone.
I have been lucky. I have some security questions, and I trust my gut. I also know not everyone you meet online is safe, I was catfished once.
But we take chances, and it isn’t our fault when we love and trust.
This is the story of Shraddha Walkar a young woman who was allegedly killed by the man she loved. The man she met on Bumble, a dating app. They were together since 2019, until one day he allegedly cut her into pieces.
But her alleged killer isn’t the only one on trial, so is Shraddha Walkar, even if she is clearly the victim.
People will always have an opinion. And in a society that frowns on intermarriage, a young Hindu woman like Walkar shouldn't have been in a relationship with a Muslim guy and she shouldn't be living in ‘sin’ with a man.
I remember the same when Jennifer Laude died at the hands of a young American serviceman, it was Jennifer who was on trial for being a transwoman.
Social media isn’t too kind to women like Walkar, she disobeyed her parents. She was disowned by her family after she chose to be with Aaftab Poonawala, her alleged killer.
She shouldn't be on dating apps.
A lot of shouldn't.
When Walkar’s killing hit the headlines, it prompted a traditional backlash over the growth of unmarried couples living together — commonly called “live-in relationships” in India — and the lurking dangers of the apps. There was also the religious element, which added fuel to the explosive story: Walkar’s Hindu parents broke off ties with their daughter two years ago after she decided to move in with Poonawala, according to police records. The Walkars “don’t do inter-religion/inter-caste marriage,” her father told police, records show. — Excerpt, A gruesome murder case in India pits traditional values against modern love
Modern Love
Love can come in many places. Dating apps only made it easier for people looking for love to find who can be their lifetime partner or for some the person who will be responsible for their death.
I will not delve into what is right or wrong with our society. I have deep respect for different cultures.
I also have my own deep-seated traditions that I follow and are non-negotiable. Should parents be always supportive of their children? Should people still frown on intermarriage or mixed marriage?
I know of a young woman who fell in love with a black guy and the last thing she expected from her mom when she introduced him to her was her bigotry.
She didn’t end up marrying the black guy, maybe she chose her family over love.
But for anyone judging Shraddha Walkar, you are losing sight of what happened, she died not because of her choices, she died because a man chose violence and commit murder.
Thank you for reading.
Source:
A gruesome murder case in India pits traditional values against modern love
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