The Erroneous System of 'Love' Marriages

In my Anthropology of India course, there was the following quote from an article by an Indian feminist, Madhu Kishwar, who admits the failings of self-arranged 'love' marriages. It's quite interesting and may be useful in defending the Vedic system of marriage:

"From what I have seen of them, "love marriages" compel me to conclude that most of them are not based on love and often end up being as big a bore or fiasco as many arranged marriages. Among the numerous cases I know I have found that often there is nothing more than a fleeting sexual attraction which does not last beyond the honeymoon period. And then the marriage is as loveless or even worse than a bad arranged marriage...

...more often, it turns out that young people are making marriage choices that are impetuous and based on no more than a flush of sexual passion, which does not carry a marriage very far...

...In the West, almost all marriages are self contracted. Yet, there is no dearth of marital violence, and abuse in those marriages. In fact, many women in the West get beaten not just by husbands, but as often by their lovers or boyfriends...

...Hollywood and Bollywood propaganda tells us that passionate romance is the foundation of a real marriage; according to these myth makers marriage is and ought to be an affair between two individuals. Marriages between people who defy caste, class, community and other prevalent norms are seen as demonstrating thereby their true love for each other and are glorified. This is not only over simplistic but highly erroneous..."

From an article entitled "Love and Marriage" from the feminist women magazine, Manushi.
http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/projects/asia/asiaunits/india/LoveandMarriage.html

KC Nectar:
http://nimesh0775.blogspot.com/