CG groom takes PM’s fuel advice to heart, arrives for his wedding in bullock cart

Raipur: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged fellow countrymen to cut down on fuel consumption and switch to public transport amid global supply disruption of crude due to the West Asian war, his austerity call found resonance at a wedding at the gateway to Chhattisgarh’s Abujhmarh.Taking the PM’s advice to heart, the groom, a gunman assigned to SP, Narayanpur in Bastar, turned up for his wedding riding a bullock cart.In clips and images that went viral, Kuber Dehari, clad in a trademark shimmery wedding kurta, turned his baraat into a statement at Dumartarai village, junking the usual convoy of cars for a decked-up bullock cart as he arrived at the bride’s door.Choosing tradition over diesel, restraint over display, and a slow-moving bullock cart over the now-familiar wedding fleet of SUVs, his fuel-free arrival to fetch his bride set a unique wedding template in difficult times, quickly grabbing eyeballs and attention across the region.As the decorated cart rolled through village tracks to the beat of traditional music, locals gathered along the route, many recording videos of what they called a “different kind of baraat”.Hailing the gunner, Narayanpur SP Robinson Guria told TOI that his gesture sent out a larger public message to conserve fuel while marking an initiative to blend tradition with economic prudence.“I will join the reception tonight,” he said.Dehari said the decision was deliberate. “Our culture and traditions are conveyors of our identity. The younger generation should preserve them. At the same time, we must also take the Prime Minister’s message about saving fuel seriously,” he told TOI.At a time acute fuel shortages and panic buying have led to long queues at petrol pumps across the state, the symbolism associated with his gesture was not lost on residents.The absence of engines, horns and exhaust fumes turned the procession into a rare blend of celebration and message.In a region known more as a Maoist hotbed and for being cut off from the world until recently, the bullock-cart baraat is now the talk of Abujhmarh.