Where Amardeep brings the old topic of arranged marriage into the Sepia Mutiny Chowk, and sets off a comments riot. And into such meele I enter, chucking my mask of obscurity, and throw the following stone.

Ah yes, this is an old whipping horse that I have ridden quite often. So much so that recently I seemed to have morphed into an apologist for arranged marriages, especially when older 'firangis' associated with an international students & locals friendship organization in this city, smirkingly ask me, 'So Mr. S, are you going to have an arranged marriage too?" when the issue of marriage comes up. Then I am almost tempted to turn racist/ sarcastic, and riposte, "Madames & Sirs, unless any your progney mates with me, an exotic animal, yes, I will have to resort to such strange rites." I also half tempted to recite this poem to them in order to explain such irrationality of the natives.

That said, I think Ms. James's article, if not exactly revelatory, was superior to this other recent article on the same subject that was recently sent to me by a friend. And if you want to read, here lies my rejoinder to that latter article.