Bound by Constitution, couple enter wedded life

The Sub-Registrar’s Office at Nenmara in the district saw a unique celebration on New Year’s day on Thursday as Sheetal and Jithin tied the knot under the Special Marriage Act in a ceremony unlike any other.

Instead of traditional rituals, the couple exchanged copies of the Indian Constitution, making it a Constitutional wedding in every sense.

“We wanted our wedding to reflect the ideals of the Constitution, and to celebrate simplicity,” said Ms. Sheetal and Mr. Jithin after the ceremony, which was completely free of customary formalities.

Only a handful of friends were present to witness the model wedding.

The couple signed a marriage pledge inspired by the Preamble of the Constitution, turning their union into a celebration of constitutional values. They also distributed pamphlets highlighting these principles, sharing the spirit of the occasion with those around them.

Mr. Jithin, from Ayaloor in Palakkad, works as a village assistant at Thenkurissi Village-1, while Ms. Sheetal, from Karunagappally in Kollam, is a teacher at Kannadi Higher Secondary School.

Ms. Sheetal had earlier worked as a Constitution trainer in the Citizen-2022 project of the Kollam district panchayat, which had declared Kollam as India’s first fully Constitution-literate district. She is also an active member of the Constitution Literacy Council, an organisation dedicated to promoting constitutional literacy across the State.

“We wanted to ensure that constitutional values start at home and within the family. We were inspired by other members of the Constitution Literacy Council, who used their wedding celebrations to promote the Constitution,” said the couple.

They said that their decision to hold the wedding at the Sub Registrar’s Office was driven by a desire to inspire more people to adopt a simple, no-frills celebration.

Blessing the newlyweds, Constitution Literacy Council chairperson Naseem Khan said the ceremony sent a broader message to society—that family relationships should be grounded in the moral and constitutional values enshrined in the Constitution. Mr. Khan, along with executive member M.A. Raseena, presented the couple with copies of the Constitution. On a fitting note, the ceremony concluded with the national anthem.