Marriage is essential but not compulsory. Marriage is essential for the development of the family. If a person things he/ she is better off alone and needs no friend, love or children, they can live single life. On the other hand, if someone things he/she needs a friend, lover and children, in wholesome a family, they should get married. Career is important in both the cases.

That is true, it is essential but it is not a compulsory need.I too feel that no matter what an individual has to have a career and have financial independence ...

My simple take on this issue is that marriage as an institution has survived so many thousand years and the search for its alternative has met with failures with all good reasons. The kind of needs that marriage fulfill has been tried in some other form which created more problems of disastrous nature for society!

I agree but my point is, why force it on those who do not want it. Let them choose for themselves and find out what works best!!

I would go with that.Last year we had rented out a part of our house for a short period of time since we were going to be away. A couple wanted to stay there, both working for Infosys tech and I spoke to them for a short time and liked them and on the spot we decided on the rent and other details...They moved in the very next day.After a while I got a call from my neighbor saying that I had made a wrong choice, now the entire neighborhood is very disturbed by the couples behavior..I decided to check it out and came to Mangalore on a Friday and found nothing wrong.They were busy with their work.In the evening they had a few friends over for drinks and dinner..The whole issue was that they were not married and anything they did was wrong as far as my neighbors were concerned.I had a talk with my neighbors and finally things did calm down and the couple stayed on...
Our society is now at cross roads and one can understand that it is not easy to change ..

its not your neighbor's fault was we don't accept live in relationships in India socially. :blink:

Are you serious Sanjeev ? There are many such relationships that existed during good old times ? Men have always had more than one wife and that was accepted by all during those times . How many men in villages and smaller towns have mistresses ?- The problem with Indian society is its double standard.

These are double standards with any doubt. Previously men were allowed to keep one or more concubines with common knowledge, the wife could not and did not have any say in the matter, her feelings were not considered. Now when girls opt for a live in relationship, why so much furor about it? At least they are faithful to their partners and are not acting promiscuously.