MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao with an inter-religious marriage believes the Ayodhya verdict will help the country move on
MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao with an inter-religious marriage believes the Ayodhya verdict will help the country move on
After the long-awaited Ayodhya verdict that was declared yesterday, Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLA, Gandhi Nagar talks about how he married Tabu despite their religious differences and initial opposition.
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| Happily married: The couple met in 1991 and got married three years later. They now have two daughters, aged 14 and 11 years |
They first met in 1991 at au00a0 get together when Dinesh was a student of BMS Engineering College. When the decision for a marriage came about, initial opposition came through family members because of religious differences. "My family had problems accepting her initially as she is Muslim", said Gundu Rao.
"The apprehension was natural and I can't blame them for it", he added. Things changed when the families met and the couple married in the year 1994. They have two daughters, aged 14 and 11.
"We follow our respective religious beliefs with mutual respect and celebrate festivals of both religions. Our children do not follow any one religion and have been exposed equally to both," said Gundu Rao. "Religious acceptance, not mere tolerance is the key word", he added.
Talking about the Ayodhya verdict Gundu Rao believes it has paved the way for the country to move on. "The verdict in itself is not important. Nobody would have cared much if the judgment hadn't come.Fortunately, the judges have understood the complexity of the situation and tried to balance out the judgment accordingly", said Rao.
