Why 41,000 women ‘missing’ in Gujarat is no Kerala Story https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/why-41000-women-missing-in-gujarat-is-no-kerala-story-2380513-2023-05-17 Jumana Shah May 17, 2023 Analysis of this NCRB data from 2016-2020 reveals that most women—caught in the caste-ridden social structure where exercising one’s choice is difficult—had eloped over matters of the heart
In six years, 51,433 women have been registered as ‘missing’ and 50,105 have returned; 97.42 per cent of the missing women have reunited with their families. Only 1,328 women remain missing now,” Additional DGP (law and order) Narsimha Komar told Indian Today..A majority of these women leave their homes for matters of the heart, but it is not ‘love jihad’. “We have noticed two main reasons why young girls and women leave their homes. One is inter-caste love marriage, where the girl feels the family will not agree to the match, and second, girls under 18 years eloping with their partners and returning after completing 18 to legally marry,” said Komar.
(See Maharashtra response: Maharashtra forms committee to track inter-caste, inter-faith marriages https://frontline.thehindu.com/news/maharashtra-forms-committee-to-track-inter-caste-inter-faith-marriages/article66263241.ece Dec 14, 2022 Anupama Katakam The government is looking at ways to provide support to women in troubled marriages. )