Abhay Khairnar

Pune: If you see senior citizens lining up at the marriage registrar’s office in Pune it’s not because they are tying the knot or going in for a second innings.

What’s drawing the elders at the marriage registrar’s office in significant numbers is their desire to visit their children or grandchildren abroad and the visa regulations, especially in the United States and Europe, that require marriage certificates to be furnished.

Since names and surnames of children and their parents do not make familial relationship obvious, visa applications can be processed smoothly if marriage certificates are attached.

Pune’s marriage registrar PD Ahire told DNA that last year, the number of the senior citizens applying for a marriage certificate increased by 20% to 30% as compared to previous years.

“They (senior citizens) now account for about 5% of all marriages registered at this office,” he said.

Last year, the office issued 11,736 marriage certificates of which nearly 1,000 were given to senior citizens. This year, nearly 4,000 marriage certificates have already been issued till April, officials said.

Officials from the registrar of marriages said an increasing of elderly couples were now reporting at the office to get their marriage certificate, a document, which they thought was irrelevant when they tied the knot.

“With children and grandchildren staying abroad, these couples are left with no option but to apply for a certificate,” Ahire said.

Kumar Kiwalkar, president of Non-Resident Indian Parents Organisation (Nripo) said more elderly couples were applying for their marriage certificate now.

“We need to follow the visa rules of some countries,” he said, explaining that he too had applied for one to visit his son in Australia.

Source : DNA