Marrying for a tent or tent for marriage

Khalid Kheshgi

 

PESHAWAR: Dawood Shah, 22, is probably the first displaced person at Katcha Garhi camp Peshawar to tie the knot today (Friday) but he is worried about his nuptial night as his eight-member family has a single tent in the tented village.

 

Hailing from Loyesum area in Bajaur tribal agency, Dawood Shah s/o Gulmin Jan was seeking help of the camp administration for temporary allotment of a separate tent for his wedding ceremony as being a bachelor he was not entitled to get relief items including tent from the donor agencies. “My parents are going to Munda camp in Dir district today where my fiancée is living with her family but honestly speaking I am worried about a separate tent not for the bridegroom,” Dawood told this scribe while holding an application in his hand outside the office of administrator of Katcha Garhi camp Peshawar.

 

The premises of former Afghan refugees camp at Katcha Garhi was reopened for the internally displaced people from Bajaur and Mohmand tribal agencies and Swat district where the security forces had launched operations against militants in August last year. According to the data provided by the camp administration Katcha Garhi camp is housing some 25,00 families or about 15000 individuals, majority of whom belonged to Bajaur Agency.

 

As a result of fierce clashes between military and militants thousands of families including of Dawood Shah and his fiancée left their hometowns in Bajaur Agency but Dawood’s in-laws settled at Munda camp in Lower Dir, some 200 kilometers away from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Peshawar. “I am Mian by caste and owns a small piece of land in Inzare village where we have a mud-house, comprising four big rooms,” the would-be bridegroom said and added that bad luck had moved him to a big but strange city where he is begging for a tent and other relief items.

 

Dawood is living with his parent alongwith three brothers and two sisters in a small tent in the K-block of Katcha Garhi camp. He is not the eldest son of his displaced parents but contrary to the tribal tradition his mother preferred him over his elder brother as she wanted to see her daughter-in-law in her life. “My ailing mother has lost her hopes of early return to Bajaur so she wants my marriage at the camp,” he justified his wedding in the make-shift camp.

 

Administrator of Katcha Garhi camp Arbab Arshad said that as per UNHCR policy an unmarried person could not get pass for the relief goods including tents. “I will recommend for the allotment of a temporary tent to the young man but the final decision will be made by the UNHCR people keeping in view availability of empty tents as well as space in the block where Dawood’s family lives,” he added.

 

But Dawood was insisting for a separate tent as he believes he may not be able to meet his newly-wedded other side in a tent already sheltering his eight-member family.

 

 

Ends